South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-09
AUTHORITIES PLAN
CAMPAIGN AGAINST
SCHOOL R0BBERIES
Loot Lockers. Steal Valuable
at High School MAY A.
sign Detectives.

at lll-ii AfiiNNi Wa
sign Detectives.
Two and perhaps three sre.
police for the detection OF theft v..
be appointed by the school board Gen
duty az the high school n tho schoo
board follows recommendations 81.
be proposed by J.. S. McCowar
school principal late Wednesdar
A close supervision OF locker
which have OF late been broken ir.-
and robbed with more frequenr
than or any time before. VIII. it
believed. effect some sort Of rcmedf
In addition ALLEGATION OF lockers
the open corridors Of the buidire
and search OF an suspects anorE
the student body are measures tHH.
VIII probably be considered
Conditions Grow Worse
Conditions that prevail n schor
are woefu,ly getting worse, u.
clared MCGOWAN "Wednesday, to
representative OF The News-Times
The school PRINCIPAL. while claimIr-
the same condition prevails in a..
admitted that the prevalence Ct
larceny in the high school reqUi~
prompt and courageous methods
it's suppression
A canvas vas made ~ a do.
students and each reported the thc..
Of from one 10 three articles a.
money during the past six weeks 0f
the present semester. one girl RE-
ported that she had lost two poke
books each containing money
fountain pen. three books and t0n-
ping the climax had a gold wis.
watch removed from her locke
Tuesday. A boy stated that he had
notified the school authorities Of thr
theft Of his bicycle TUESDAY No re-
port Of either the theft of the watch
or the bicycle was made to the 800.
lice
Need Close Guard.
Reports ensuing from scho0
show that fin every building there lf
usually the daily report Of a thief.
Lockers are the principal object
OF attack. These reports. a As said
are in addition TO the many articles
such as school supplies. that arc
lost by the students and are subse-
quently recovered.
That a closer supervision ~ loCk
ers has become necessary S. admit
ted by many teachers and principal
Of the city's schools III is also be
Ieved that turning culrrits over
20 the police for Questioninc
and subsequent search warrants or
homes VIII bring 70 light consider
able or the property already stolen
and too. In a measure. tend to ahate
the practice.
Increased 500 Percent
Petty larceny in schools has
creased 800 percent during the pas.
year" vouch fed Mr. MCGOWAN. who
4 declared the practice is reported h-
school authorities the country over
. AT "a recent Chicago convention. he
said the question came mp for dis
cuss sion and outside of two principal
rea sons assigned as causes for the
orgy no recommendation looking
% cure were forthcoming.
The reporter was granted permie-
sion 60 look over the building. T.
was \ period whom classes were in
session and no student rs permit
ted. except by special consent OF "a
teacher. 10 go 20 his or her locker
ON the third floor are two locke
rooms i'm which several hundred stu
dents are accommodate. To this the
reporter finally came and sauntcr-
ing along came upon "a youth who
was tampering with lock u.s.
movements. ar0using suspicion. were
. j
failing in his efforts walked around
the tier 70 90 into the aisle ahead
+ Approached no Immediately "dUc<-
ed" into an any room. Questioned
I his name was secured and reported
10 the principal
Blamcs New Law.
MCGOWAN admitted The boy d.
question had "a truant record am.
+ had several times been suspended 2.
. was recalled that the boy was the
son Of Cd prominent local bushes
man.
The two reasons assigned for the
increase in larceny according 20
MCGOWAN. repeating the consensus
~ opinion given at the Chicago con
reutiOu, were after-War condition
and the law requiring boys in BChOo
until they reach their 10th yoa..
This last cause. declared tho schoo.
head. was particularly felt in In
diana since the enactment OF such
statute by the legislature a year
ago The age limit formerly D.
years. now required boys IA AMI
u 70 return 20 school This. he said
brought back 20 the schools in gen
eral and the high schools ia par
ticular. a certain element who were
not DESTROYS on their own or par
ents accord 90 continue in school
Among them We're boys who had
been working and obtaining their
own money and being deprived OF
this revenue, sought the ways OF a
sneak thief TO obtain the things
they coveted