The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-07-11
A
Blighted Hope

DllSlllCQ 1OpC
b. WILLIAM BLAKEMAN
Here II a story suggested BY the
present interest In eugenics.
There are q number Of elements that
enter into tho condition Of criminality.
but they are inextricably mingled.
For instance, heredity plays IN impor-
tant part but since there are two par
ents, the ancestors Of each reaching
back Indefinitely. It does not neces-
sarily follow that q child begotten by
them will inherit q criminal teubency.
Moreover. criminality may BE- a disease
or IN imperfect working Of the bodily
functions. Then there ID environment.
which many experts In criminology
consider BY far the most important Of
all causes.
In England many years ago there
dwelt . family named Ball. John Ball.
one Of these people. at twenty years
Of age became q parricide. That wal
tho time when the English government
was sending criminals to Botany bay.
in Australia. Those transported we're
treated according to their condition.
some Of them being allowed full lib.
erty within bounds. to live in their
own houses and earn their own living.
John Ball, to all outward appearances,
was a perfectly good nan and soon
earned the right to be treated 40 such
within the limits Of the law.
In the penal colony was a young wo.
man named Mary Coolidge. She had
stolen money to keep her widowed
mother and younger brothers and Sis
tiers from starving. It would seem
that this act was only on the border
Of crime and should have met with a
light punishment But the act was
committed at a time when there was
but little mercy under the English
law. and Mary was sent to Botany
hay.
These two. John Ball and Mary Cool.
idge, met after they had been members
Of the colony eight years. There was
an inclination among Johns associates
to consider his crime as the result Of
q temporary insanity. Az for Mary's,
It was simply an overstrain Of human
endurance. The two became attached
to each other and were married. each
obtaining q ticket Of leave to 20 any
where on the island and build a home
for themselves.
Each had saved some money and.
putting their funds together, had cap
ital enough to 60 into sheep raising.
Al; that time land was cheap in Aus.
tralia. and they were enabled to buy
what would now be considered a large
tract They prospered and as they &C.
cumulated more capital put It into
sheep and what vas required for their
docks protection. A son was soon
born to them, and he was followed by
two daughters.
Johnny Ball was a fine little fellow
and the apple Of his fathers eye. At
an early age be learned to ride on
horseback and made frequent trips
with his father over his ranch. They
were enjoyable. rides over acres that
they owned. we'll stocked with their
sheep. The family was a, happy one
Notwithstanding the reason for their
being where they were. though the
children were brought up In ignorance
that their parents had been criminals.
John Ball. ST.. became quite wealthy,
and his wealth and his sterling quail.
ties did much to eradicate the effect
upon his fellow men Of his having been
transported for crime. He had excel.
lent judgment. and before important
ventures were entered upon by his as.
sociates they usually consulted him.
Balls family grew up under entirely
different conditions from other de.
scendants of criminals, who even to-
day constitute a class by themselves.
They are called larrikins and are
noted for their worthlessness and fur
nish their full quota Of Australian
criminals. Those who were observing
claimed the case Of the Ball children
Indicated that environment was more
important than heredity. Their father
had been enabled to raise them far
above that association which produces
criminals.
John Ball, Jr.. grew up to be q man
with the same judgment. the same
character. az his father. It was be.
iieved that he would furnish an exam.
pie OF the o Of a criminal who. far
from being the usual larrikin. would
be an honor to Australia. While he
manifested q disposition to continue
sheep raising. at which his father had
been % successful. he also showed an
inclination to enter the political field.
But one morning this optimistic
|astructurs that 4 belng built upon
the case Of the Ball family fell with
Z crash. The mother and the children.
except John Junior, who raj now
twenty-five years old. were away on a
visit. leaving father and son in the
ranch house. In the morning 4 servant
went to their rooms to call them 70
breakfast and found the father muir
dered IN bis bed and the son gone.
Tha mnttne Nnnt = nonnnn n~Ao Ahr~>