Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-13
AGAINST
OFFICER HEARD BY
PROBATE JUDGE
Club Women Alleged That
James O'Connor Is Unfit
Person to Hold Position of
Probation Officer.

Representative women from different
women's organizations of the city were
in the office OF the probate court last
evening to prefer charges against thu
probation officer. James o'Connor. Mir.
o'Connor had been charged u few days
before the hearing with not being
suitable person to occupy the position
OF probation officer by representatives
of the Good Citizenship club, the Whit
tier. Park. Washington and Longfellow
Parent Teachers associations, the
Council of Women Voters, the Central
and Hyde Park w. q. a, u, and the
South Boise w, c, t, L. in set OF res
buttons sent to Judge Dunlap,
The probation officer was charged
in these resolutions with having neg
lected to properly enforce the curfew
and the cigarette ordinances and the
truancy Law, and that his language u
boys and girls was unbecoming and
Gnnt TO use TO children. He was also
charged With having taken upon him.
self the responsibility of talking pri-
vately 10 two delinquent girls who
were sent to his office 10 be taken in
charge by the woman probation officer
who happened unfortunately to be alb
sent at that hour, AS the woman pro-
baton officer is supposed to talk to the
girls sent to the office, the representa-
tives OF the different organizations felt
the male probation officer, O'Connor,
had taken an Qnwarrantcd advantage
OF his position in his assistants alb
Sence,
FROM SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
A communication from Superinten-
dent Rose concurred in by his prinoi-
pals and the school board, declared that
no case of hahitual truancy had been
made better by Mir o'Connor. The
cNpedient OF "hrowbeatins" young lads
into contessing that they had commit
| ted acts, which they denied, presuma-
hly OF an immoral nature. and that the
probation officers language on such
occasions was of such character rs
TO instin and suggest evil thoughts in
the child's mind, was another OF the
accusations brought against Mr. O'Con-
! nor.
/ Mrs. Edgar Payne and Mrs, s, IL.
/ Vance. who spoke for the legislative
departments OF the Parent Teacher as
sociations and the w. {. I. L., gave
personal accounts OF minors smoking
I cigarettes and procuring 'mallings" NJ
some Of she city cigar stores withoG,
being asked any question relative "a
their DONG 81, Most of the women
1aSrecd that children were often on the
stree, after the cartew hour.
/ Mrs, +, j. Dockery, who representa-
the Good citizenship club, brought W
several matters, among them that oi
the two young girls whom MIR, O'Coa-
nor had talked to privately in the tenn
lpararN absence of the probation ma
iron instead of awaiting her return
Mrs. DockerS placed strong emphasis
on the point that Mr.. O'Connor had
nade n good record as n police office
lin dealing with hardened criminals, tht
very kind of man considered most un.
lit for the office of probation officer
where young boys and girls are to h,
helped.
Mrs, !, G, Green. who. for about throe
years was in charge of the ehildren's
playground az the door of her home OF
Grove street, testified that the proha-
tian officer In reply to her request foi
laid IN controlling the conduct of youae
girls and boys meeting ON the play
ground, not only answered imperti-
nentlS, extensively and diseourteousiy
but proceeded to say that the condi-
lions to which she objected were no,
lreprehensihle aud also give TO her tn.
Impression that n young girl was no;
harmed by sitting in dark, lonely
corner OF an nnlighted park at II
O'Clock at night with a young man, anI
with no other people In the park. She
Fa.tt lknN .xal..k Had -