Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-02-10
Entered at the Postoffice at Ale1an'
ala. virginia. as second class matter
MICH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

brought before the oliSe
Of Alexandria county about TWO
weeks ago on the charge OF breaking
and entering "a boat house and steal
ing articles thereform. 1t is SAID
thew are old offenders Under the
nresent laws of the state of Virginia
it is virtually impossible to do any,
thing with such defiers OF law save
to send them to the reform school,
tbat is if their offenses are simply
misdemeanors. AS is often done IN
Alexandria city, and which course
was resorted to in the Police Court
few days ago, the matter was put up
to the boys parents-they couio
either whip their progeny or allow
them to be sent to the reform scnooi.
The parents chose the former course
and gave them what they deserved.
We do not know how severe the
castipation in Alexandria county
proved to be. but we suppose 1T was
akin to some in this city during ante
bellum days when owners of negroes
brought them to the old watch
house to be whipped. The late Will
lam B. Price was Mayor on one oc-
casion when a cross and ill-natured
white resident brought his colored
bow to the watch house for correc-
ton. The Mayor winked at the con-
stable who was to WELD the instrI-Y
ment of torture, meaning touch him
lightly" 1t is said that during the
whipping it was necessary for the
executioner to stop occasionally IN
order to allow the dust to settle.
But to come. back to the occur
cnce in Alexandria county. Had the
Russian knout been used on the ju-
venile thieves there could have been
but little more excitement upon the
part of a class who always espouse
the cause of the under dog whether
it is right or wrong.
Two Indignation meetings have al
ready been held-one last week in
Clarendon and another Thursday
night at Cherrydale. Speeches were
made on these occasions by several
persons.
Last summer number of youths
under sixteen years of age were
brought before the Police Court in
Alexandria city charged with break
ing and entering houses and steal
ing thereform They, too, we're old
offenders. Several of these young
sters were turned over to their par
ents, for correction, but the same
boys were back in the dock in about
week charged with similar offenses.
We think the Police Justice of
Alexandria county acted very prop
crly in these cases. He could have
sent the offenders to the reform
school, but he doubtless desired to
give their parents an opportunity
to reclaim their offspring, and they
sensibly, awaited themselves of it,
and consented to the castigation, ac-
cording to one of the county papers
of last week.
A Washington paper in describing
Thursday nights Indignation meet
ing said '!this is the first time the.
lash has been welded in Virginia
since the civil war
The lash was used in Virginia
upon thieves up to the early eighties,
when the law was abolished by the
readjuster-republican party which
was then in the majority, the whip
ping post law being obnoxious to
many persons, white and black, who
had fused with that organization.
Attempts have since been made to
nave It re-enacted.
School teachers resort to corporal
punishment when necessary and why
such excitement when parents use
their authority over their children in.
a station house?
The :Alexandria County Monitor
of this week in referring to the first,
Indignation meeting says the sheriff
stated in open meeting that he had
attempted to correct the boys and
was politely told that he could not
do anything about it
The Monitor suggests the follow
ing rules:
That ali boys be. gotten ,torethert
sid 7 taken to ! Sunday :school and
church en- Sundays. That a revival
lie held to get them interested.
Tha. boys IL compelled to remain