Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-11-15

and there saw the story of a robber
organization portrayed.
He thought much of this picture
and after telling the other boys of it
they decided to organize such a band
among themselves. A verbal consti-
tuition was brought into effect and
two of them were duly elected
Kings" of "The Youthful Order of
Pirates" All the members were
sworn to secrecy upon pain of death.
The loft of an old woodshed was fit
ted out with the skulls of various
animals strung along the wall A
large bench and a remodeled cracker
box served as a dual throne. The
order then proceeded to business.
The smallest, eight years of age, sug-
gested that it would be a good plan
to rob a store, as the picture men
had done that first. Three of the
gang started out with this intention
and while the little fellow kept guard
on the outside, two others broke open
the door of Mrs. Huffman's store and
helped themselves to candy, gum, to-
bacco, canned goods and the contents
of the till. The little fellow was Civ
en- eight cents and package of gum
for his share of the haul, and not
feeling satisfied went back and got a
couple of bottles of pop to go with
it.
The "job" was then discussed be-
fore the rest of the subjects and a
couple of nights later it was decided
to rob the Market street store. This
time all six of the boys got in on
the deal" and each one went away
with all he could carry. Encouraged
by their success and feeling that he
had been sighted by the kings, the
small one planned the robbery of the
Ross grocery. He took one of the
other boys into his confidence but
the lad told the kings, who used
their kingly prerogative and refused
to allow them to "do the job, saying
that the cigarettes and canned goods
would last for several days The lit
tie fellow then planned to rob a
grocery store in Yew Park but this
scheme was also turned down after a
discussion by the kings council All
of the boys confessed that they were
adopts with the pipe and cigarette, in
fact there was held quite lengthy
discussion between the chief and one
Of the boys as to the relative merits
of Old Mil, Obak, and Peerless cigar
ettues and the pipe, the lad finally
deciding in favor of the Obak cigar
cites.
Judge Bushey did not know just
what to do in the matter. Something
severe was certainly in order, but he
hated to send all of the younger boys
to the reform school, so he turned
them loose all but one, with a slight
reprimand. One of the older boys
was given sentence to the reform
school with the benefit of a parole,
but the other oldest boy, who was
once before paroled was sent to the
school, where he will remain until
he is 81, In giving his opinion the
judge said;
Il do not believe that the boys are
naturally bad and | feel confident
that the example | have made of the
one will serve as sufficient punish
ment and permanently break up the
gang Let this teach all parents that
place for the boy after night is at
home, and that any boy who smokes
cigarettes is on the road to ruin.
Children place a great responsibility
on the shoulders of the parent and
the boy is largely what parents al
low him to become. Complaints
have been coming in from other parts
Of Salem and if boys are not kept off
the streets, l will be forced sooner
or later to send some of them to the
reform school. But it is much easier
and much more certain to prevent a
criminal than to reform one"