El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-14
CRIME AMONG
JUVENILES SHOWS
MARKED DECREASE
Mrs. Emma Webster Doing
Splendid Work as Pro
baton Officer.

Crime among juveniles IN FL Paso
county has decreased nearly % percent
during the past year. Statistics Of the
. arrest and convictions Of deLnQuents
in this county during 1884 show that
there have been fewer boys and girls
sent to the reform school than at any
other similar period since FL Paso be-
came a city
crime in this county is due Mrs Emma
Webster, probation officer, who Is now
completing her first year 5 WORK She
is the mother of scores Of Maynard
Youngsters being sent 10 the reform
school. Mrs. Webster has put them on
probation and a great percent nave
reformed Few Of the youngsters she
has placed on the honor role have been
arrested Cor a second o11ense- She
makes them report regularly and then
visits each one during the week to give
them a friendly pat and mother -ad-
vice about right and wrong
Has Had Much Experience.
Mrs Webster has had much eXper-
ience with delinquents and criminals.
For several years she was maLrOn at
the county Jail and came in contact
with all kinds and manners Of GRIMM
ais. boys and girls who had committed
their first offense, burglars, yeggs,
murdererS and men ana women OF the
underworld who all their lives have
been living in disobeyance OF the laws.
Judge A S J. Eylar was looking for
an efficient probation officer and found
il g difficult task, when ne discovered
Mrs Webster. She was at once made
probation officer and her good record
indicates that judge Eylar made no mis-
take in his selection.
Lenieut With First Offenders
Each morning Mrs. Webster visits the
jails and the justice courts to see If
there are any boys and girls under ar
rest If there is little tad who has
committed his first offense, Mrs Web
ster takes him in tow 10 her office at
the county building. Here the kiddie is
given a lot of mOtherly advice, which
goes much further than trip to the
Gainesville reform school He is then
sent to his parents home and Mrs.
Webster has him make a report each
week and makes an occasional visit TO
see If he IS walking the straight and
narrow path If the boy continues his 2
acts. then there is no other ]
resource left but the reform school But l
il is seldom that this is necessary
Maynard Ones Mostly Orphans.
Many Of the children arrested are 7
either orphans or have been neglected /
by their parents. They are forced to /
forge for themselves and many mingle |
With bad company and soon become /
thieves
When these youngsters are arrested, /
Yrs Webster becomes their guardian
'he is looked upon as mother bv these
boys and girls and when they are in /
TOuble at home or need food or cloth 4
ng they come TO her for assistance in
itead OF stealing.
The larger percentage Of juvenile
rhine in this cit is committed nv Mex
can children. Many Of these boys and
Urls are the children OF refugees who
anne to FL PasO when the federals
we're driven out Of Chihuahua Many I
# their fathers are now prisoners at
he Fort Wingate prison calp and their
mothers find il difficult earning a liv-
ng for them. Others are the sons and !
daughters Of men who have Joined VII !
HHn 20 Elafu=
mothers are dead They soon mingle !
With criminals and then start stealing. !