The Washington times., 1923-05-02
AVIATION GIRL
MAKES URCH|N
! ALL OVER
eowery Boy Threw Brick at
Her and Is Now a Little
/ Gentleman"
By international News Service.

BY international News Service.
NEW YORK, May IA few
weeks ago Bowery urchin threw
q brick at a Salvation Army lass
and today a nationwide movement
is afoot to polish little roughnecks
into little gentlemen"
And the Houston streeters," the
gang that has long been a terror
to other juvenile warrior bands on
the East Side, have Joined a Bible
class en- masse at the Bowery Corps
of the Salvation Army and are GO
ing about singing hymns and talk
ing religion and boasting that
they're gentlemen" now.
True, the Bible class is the most |
rough-and-tumble Bible class in the
world, but all that means is just |
embarrassed fifty-boypower
Miss Elizabeth Justice, twenty |
two, is the Salvation Army lass
who took the brick and decided |
to build a chapel with it. Out of |
scores Of well-meaning persons VINO |
have gone down into the East Side |
to work with boys, she is tht only |
one who ever got right down on
her knees, made pals with the |
gangsters and aroused their inter-
est. She had a brand-new field |
She made the rounds and told the
gangs there was going to be Sun
day school at the Army hall Mon |
day night. The boys liked ner
they'd come. Half of them were |
in their teens, but their idea of |
what g. Sunday school, is was |
shown when they showed up Mon
day night, bringing all their base
ball bats and gloves.
Miss Justice Immediately picked
out the gang leaders, made them
Officers" in charge of order.
Heads were raped and shins were
kicked blue, according to East Side
ethics of enforcement, but order
was obtained.
That was the start of Daniels
Bandit had to be band for
club or ''class" would have been
fatal. The movement spread to
other States, and national head
Bands in every city where the or
ganization works.
Boys Confess Sins.
The second gathering was
turned into testimonial meet
ing" Miss Justice suggested that
the boys tell the bad things they
had done the previous week.
Up jumped Joseph Pforzheimer,
bully of the bunch, first in war,
first in peace and first in fear from
his followers.
During the week I shot craps
I threw a brickbat at a cop-I stole
money from the old LADY, played
hoOkey-went to cI1iIdren's court
twice-got into four fights-and got
me nose bustedr'
The gang roared with delight.
Now that was a mani Threw a
brick at a cop! That represented
the Bowery's idea of courage. Miss
Justice was a little uneasy, but
she quickly met the situation with:
A Reformed Sinner.
Those are the bad things you
did. Now, Joe, tell them what you
are going to do next week" Joe
shifted uneasily. He seemed to
have something to say.
Next week." he blurted out. ST
ain't going to do any of them
things here, teacher" and he
fished a pair of dice out of his
pocket and handed them over.
Others followed suit. The table
was soon covered with dice, put
and-take tops, cigarette and cigar
I
Dther Bowery treasures.
Now the gang would fight for
Miss Justice. She got real contact
with them.
"I'll tame them down later" said
the Army lass. They've got zeal !
all right. Their language is terri
BILE sometimes in it's vulgarity.
They use outrageous words with.
but knowing it is vulgar. They
have been hearing such talk all .
heir lives, and they are uncon-
Bcious of it. But Ill teach them
gradually. ,
1.-THE hardest thing is neeptr {
hem from fighting. We have hot
log suppers sometimes, and the
monitors stand by and make the
boys say Thank you as they get
their sandwiches. If they don't say
It. or if they keep their hats on, &
they get a kick or a blow that
Knocks them down. ,
All Right Under Dirt.
boys are all right under their
dirt, no matter where they come !
Irom," Miss Justice said. "They ]
will start a battle right in the mid
die of Scripture reading if one I'M
ruly boy makes any noise, and they
don't stop until he is punished"
Miss Justice herself is a flower
IF the Bowery. Thirty years ago :
Zoe Justice was a Bowery bum.
He wandered into a Salvation Army ]
hall one night looking for a. hand. =
out. Joe became interested in an
earnest woman who was speaking, I
and in a few minutes he was con 6
yerted, down on his ragged knees
sobbing and talking to Jesus with
Ill his might. Beside him knelt a
convert, whom he afterward d.
Miss Elizabeth is their
and all three are enrolled
n the Army Joe Justice is a pros
1erous laundryman.
Maybe that's why Miss Justice !
broke down a barrier that has {
many social workers" and {
- turning the curses Of the tough :
EST gang in New York into psalms !
If love. =