The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1922-02-02
WHO'S EDUCATING YOUR BOY
AND GTRLq

pher, VINO spendS ms summers on his
Central Ridge farm and his winters in
Spokane and who as former promi-
nent business man in Nezperce is well
known over this prairie, gives we dad
dies and mothers some real food for
thought relative to our children's edu-
cation in the following:
To the Editor Herald:
1t is astonishing what lessons one
will pick up along the educational
line, wherein some youths have been
neglected in not receiving wholesome
instruction in q moral and intellectual
way, such teachings being supplied in
a vicious manner, causing wrong ideas
and wrong acts to spring forth, ending
in criminality which shocks the cul-
tivated sense of the thinking public.
Recently, the police department of
Spokane received a hurry-up call from
the western end of the city, stating
that two men engaged in gun fight
in which several shots had been fired
and both men killed, and two others
were standing by and screaming in the
widest agony, and wanted the assis-
tance of the Officers as quickly as pos
sible. The Commissioner of public safe
ty, with bunch of his officers, jump
ed in the Greyhound, with the ambu-
lance following, expecting to behold
the ending of one of the greatest trag-
edies ever pulled off in Spokane. When
they arrived on the scene and took in
the situation, you can imagine the cha
grin of that bunch of peace officers,
when they found four boys, IL years
of age, who, with blank cartridges,
were pulling off stunt they had seen
enacted on the stage of a moving pic
ture show.
In the early part of winter, the citi-
zens as well as the authorities were
aroused at the frequent holdups and
burglaries wherein much safe crack
ing was practiced. This occurred in
all parts of the city. The police de-
partment was nonplussed and in the
study of the same came to the conclu-
sion that some old offender with years
of practice was reaping rich reward
in practicing the game. This became
SO intense that the head of the depart
ment in his daily talk to the policemen
at the city hall gave instructions to
catch that yeggman and bring him in,
dead or alive. Later, one night there
came call that yeggman was break
ing the safe in a warehouse in the
eastern part of the city, and in less
than three minutes every avenue of
escape from that warehouse was guard
ed by policeman, his nerves strung
to the highest pitch, with great expec-
tation Of making big haul. The haul
was made, and when the light was
thrown on the victim, they had caught
a boy 16 years old. The efficiency of
that boy in cracking safes had fooled
older heads. He confessed to commit
ting % burglaries and stated that he
learned to crack safes by seeing it
done on the screen of moving pic
ture show.
1t was advertised that Mrs. Roy
Gardner, the wife of the notorious
bandit, would exhibit the perfor-
mances of her criminal husband while
crimes, at the Pantages all
through this week, this being done by
the aid of the movie. From many parts
of the city, the respectable people hav-
ing the welfare of the youth at heart,
sent in protest after protest to the city
council to stop the affair. The exploit
ing of crime to condone it to any ex-
tent, had become stencil. The coun-
Gil on Sunday morning viewed the pic
declared it unfit to be shown to the
public. On Monday, the manager of
the Pantages appealed to the court fos
an injunction, and after the trial at
noon, censored the picture at the thea
ter, and in his decision upheld the
council.
These experiences come in the way
IF education and when it is considered
Indt Ine gredler per SenI VI our Pohl-
are filled with young men
inder 80 years it behooves our country
10 watch all avenues of a wrong edu-
,ation. The love of money has much
% do with crime, and it is not known
now much the movies cost that Mrs.
Gardner displays. 1t is said that her
contract with the Pantages circuit
,alls for $1,000 per week and as this
,ircuit has SO theatres, if the full run
s made, it will take $4,000 to COM
olete the contract.
Smaller towns should look well to
heir movies. Douglas v. Dowd