The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-03-05
A New Move

=
] Having tried many methods to q
!, children into the schools of Mour
/ Holly and having met with rebuff
and setbacks on the parto the parents
truant officer Samuel r. Gaskill deter
, mined to act in a different name
; than that which had been his usuf
custom and he decided that he woul
look after the parents. Officer Gaski
gained the idea-a nd it seems to b
the proper one-that the children ar
not always responsible for their acts a
the lack of proper home training ha
led many youngsters to go wrong
Seeing boy on the street, last week
officer Gaskill asked why the lad wa
not in school. In reply the office
learned that the boys father was ne
glecting his son, was not properl,
clothing and feeding him, and that tn,
father had actually driven the boy
from the house. In the laws o
1915 is one concerning the welfare O
children and it provides for punish
ment of abuse, abandonment, cruelty
and neglect of children. The law is
very reaching and is quite drastic II
explains each one of the subjects men
toned. So officer Gaskill decided to
60 ahead under that statute and he
had warrant issued for the arrest OF
Augustus Powell, of Water street.
Neglect" of child consists in wilful-
ly failing to provide sufficient food,
clothing, maintenance, regular school
education as required by law, and a
clean and proper home. Under the
heading of "abuse" there is cited the
habitual use by parent, in the hear
ing of the child, profane, indecent or
obscene language.
Powell, known by his comrades as
"Gus, was taken before justice Throck-
morton, Wednesday evening, and was
given a hearing. The testimony
showed that nearly everything con-
templated by the law had been
touched. The boy had been turned
out of his fathers home at night and
had not had anything to eat since
morning He said this had been fire.
|quent occurrence. Often he would go
all day with nothing but a crust of
bread for his meal. The father has
been working on the railroad and he
said he cooked the boys breakfast in
the morning and that the boy got the
evening meal, but the lad said it was
frequent occurrence not to have any,
thing to get to eat. His step-grand-
mother lives near but the boy did not
feel like appealing to her every time
he was neglected and only did SO re-
Gently when he was so hungry he could
not stand it any longer.
The boys mother does not live with
the father. There is one child in a
home in Philadelphia, che mother has
another and the father agreed to take
care of Clarence, the lad in question.
Testimony was offered to show that
the father came home drunk and
cursed the boy and that he often
brought men home with him and they
drank and cursed in front of the boy.
What little cleaning of the house was
done was by the boy and the father
when the latter was in shape to help.
The grandmother is not able, fnan-
cially, to take care Of the boy, and, in
fact, she does not feel that she should
be compelled to do so when the father
makes in the neighborhood of SIS
week, which he spends almost entirely
for rum She did say that she would
take the boy to her home and care for
him but she thought his father should
pay the expense.
After hearing all the evidence, JUS
tice Throckmorton decided this was
case which needed sharp treatment,
but as Gus" was willing to do some
thing he was allowed to go in charge
of probation officer Slaughter on the
promise that he would pay the grand
mother 81 a week for the child's sup
port. Mr.. Slaughter told the man just
what he might expect if he failed to
keep his promise, and also informed
him there was prospect of years
Imprisonment ahead of him. This
ended the case for the present. The
boys aunt took him home with her
and he is TO go to school. He is very
willing to do this, but has been re-
strained for the want of proper cloth
ing. His teacher says he is a boy who
gives very little trouble and is willing
to learn.
After the justice had rendered the
decision he told the defendant that
costs amounting to nearly four dollars,
must be paid Powell expressed
willingness to attend to that matter at
once, but said he would have to go out
to borrow the money. He left and
did not return and on Wednesday
afternoon a constable was sent for him
and the man was sent to Jail. -
This is the first step thET officer
Gaskill has taken under the law of
1915 but he says there are others that
will follow. He has list of parents
who have been acting very much the
same way that Powell has been and Of
ficer Gaskill says he is going to see
that all of them do what the law re-
quires. Other warrants will probably
be issued this week.