St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1917-03-17
JUDGE CARTER
SAYS STEALING
BYMINORSHAS
T0BEST0PPED
Gang of Small Negro Boys
Brought Before the
Juvenile Court.
THEFT OF BRASS AND
COPPER AND JUNK.
Reaches Such Extent That
Citizens Ask That Some
thing Be Done.

Friday morning there was meet
ing at the Mayors Office to take up
the matter of putting stop to the
thieyery that is being carried on ny
negro boys. 1t has reached a stage
where it is no longer a nuisance but
a heavy expense to those who have
machinery, and even to automobile
owners.
Mr. Mackie, in behalf of the Pine
Products Company, stated that it had
gotten to be so bad that the gate To
the factory yard was watched by
gangs of these negro boys, who
waited to see that employees were
gone home or to dinner in order that
they might slip in and steal, taking
brass, lead, water cocks or pieces of
machinery or iron, which they sold
to the junk men.
Attorney HeintZ stated that there
was no way of getting these boys into
the reform school, as there was no
provision for colored people, but that
something should be done to put
stop to it.
Judge Carter stated that it should
be easy enough to stop, as the law
prohibited junk dealers from buy
ing most of these things from minors.
He proposed that a meeting be held
at the Mayors office at O'Clock.
and that the junk men be requested
to be present. He would not call
court until 10 o'clock, so that he
might give an hour to this matter.
Friday morning presented scene
at the Mayors Court representative
of a picaninny gathering at planta-
ton store. Besides there was a
good1y number of citizens and all
the police officers of the town.
Judge Carter arrived about 9:15
and took his seat as presiding judge
of the Juvenile Court, and Attorney
Heintz, juvenile officer, took up the
examination of the little negroes.
ranging from eight years of age up
to about fifteen. Occasionally Judge
Carter would cross question, to bring
out some particular piece of evil
dence.
At first the little negroes denied
everything, but when one of them
attempted to put the blame upon an
other the whole story came out in
spurts of angry protest at being
made the goat. The stealing of au-
tomobile tires and general junk was
told in detail. The parents of some
of these children were called upon
by Judge Carter, who lectured them
strongly. He told them that il they
continued to allow their children to
run at large and do these things then
affidavits would be made out against
them (the parents). Dealers in
junk we're called up and the law was
read to them, showing that it was
prohibited, with penalty, that any
thing should be bought from minors
under seventeen years of age. and
were cautioned that they would be
held responsible in the future.
Four of the auto tires were bought
by A. d. Smith and two by Horace
Alexius. Mr.. Smith Immediately
tried to trace the owner and found
that the tires belonged to Mr.. Mass
man and returned them to him. Mr..
Alexius did not do this and Judge
Carter gave him lecture.
Judge Carter requested the officers
to keep a sharp lookout for further
theft and law violation, stating he
was sure the mayor and town officials
would coincide with him that the
town ordinances should be enforced,
and he asked that affidavits be made
out if violations were discovered. He
said that. the State had provided an
institute for young whites but not
for the colored race, except the Col
ored Waits Home. The use of this
institution would be burden to tax
payers, under the circumstances, be-
cause young negroes could be con-
trolled at home. That affidavits
should be made against dealers who
did not comply with the law in the
future. He said that a scene of this
kind should not occur in a c0mmuni-
ty Of such good citizens as Covington
has. That it was a shame. He or
dered that the negroes charged with
this stealing should be taken home
and severely whipped by their par
ents. That he must be informed by
an eye witness that this punishment
had been inflicted.
After the adjournment of court,
Marshal Schultz got busy and dis
covered the boys who stole the cop
per wire fastenings of the Electric
Motor Line. 1t was divulged dur
ing the whipping that was given to
the negro r@)boys. The electric Line
company has lost about $500 worth
of this wire in the past month. One
Of the boys in this theft came from
Ramsay.