Evening star., 1924-07-25
Judge Lindsey Advises
Parents to Spend More
Time Guiding Children.
Blames Emancipation of
Youth and False Teaching
for ReuOIting Crime.
BY BEN Il. LINDSEY,
Judge of the Juvenile Court Of
Denver.

Leopold and Loeb are no real
samples of modern youth, even youth
that are spreading their wings and
making flights into the realm of the
unknown. Nevertheless the case of
these boys, with their marvellous but
twisted mentality, leading to this
shocking crime, may yet bring some
good to the world if it but impresses
upon American parents the terrific
task that rests upon them to know
and understand their children, and
how. in turn, to help their children
to know and understand them.
So then, let the mothers and fathers
of America awake. The childrens S
crime of this generation calls you to
action.
The Leopold-Loeb-F Franks murder
case-you have all read about it. Not
that you are given to the maudlin
following of grueSome murder stories:
there is more than that in this grim
deed that has turned what should be
the bright lexicon of youth into
vertible shambles of blood and death.
Crime of Youth.
And remember, through all it's
gruesome. sickening details, it is
children's story-a story of youth
even though it be the story of Chi
cago's direst crime. 1t never can be
compared with any other tragedies of
modern times; it has none of their
motives, passions or purposes.
1t beggars all comparisons and
challenges all explanation as judged
by the records of modern crime. 1t
is new kind of a murder with Il new
kind of a cause. That cause is to be
found in the modern mentality and
modern freedom of youth, with the
misunderstanding between parent
hood and childhood. Thus we have
the modern miSdirection of youth.
Do you not then see that this is
more than the story of a murder?
1t is the story of modern youth, the
story of modern parents, the story of
modern education, even though it be
an extreme and exceptional episode
in the stream of modern life.
Other Lesser Ofenses.
There are lesser offenses. lesser
difficulties, without the startling and
spectacular episode of blood and
death. that come from the same
causes and pass us by almost daily.
The Indifference to the rights of
others in the stealing of automobiles,
in joy rides, jazz parties, petting
parties, freedom in sex relations and
the mania of speed on every turn.
They do not gain our attention be-
cause they are not so startling, so
lesser deeds in the Dangerous Age,
coming in such numbers all about us,
are not less important and II spec
tacular murder was necessary to dl-
rect attention II may not have been
without it's good as well as its evil
1t concerns you, mother, and you,
father, and you, teacher. and all of
our institutions responsible for the
future of the race through that child
hood which is left as a divine trustee
ship in our everlasting arms
Crime Calls For Penalty.
Not that these youths should not
be held responsible as individuals for
the foul deed they have brought upon
their community. but the lesson of
such a tragedy would altogether fail
if we could not fairly and justly reck-
on with it's causes. In criminal
courts the judge deals only with the
thing the person does. Did he com
NIT a murder? then the judge looks
to a direction in book and there he
finds the States remedy in its ven
geance. But the judge knows little
or nothing of the causes of the thing
or the person that did it.
Back to these causes we must go.
For either hanging these boys or put
ting them for the balance of their eX-
istence behind stone walls does not
rid us of our problems of mlsdlrected
youth. 1t holds out little promise
that, without more, we may not eS-
pect a recurrence, even though from
different angles not so spectacular
of misfortune which may threaten
modern civilization. Even with the
best of parents and teachers such
things in individual cases may hap
pen, but they are not so likely to
happen if parents and teachers live
up to their full responsibility.
Classes Two as Children.
For days the papers have been
filled first with the details OF this
then, like a bolt out of the blue, with
the confession of it's perpetrators
turning out to be nothing but chill
dren themselves. So the outstanding
murder of this generation will al
ways remain in history as a murder
of a child done by children.
Advisedly / speak of them as chill
dren, not in mitigation of the crime,
but to remind you fathers and moth
ers that at law, for hundreds OF
years, all persons under the age OF
twenty-one years are and have been
lust children, or as the law more
technically expresses it. infants. That
is to say, they are so regarded as be-
ing inferior to adults because as yet
there does not exist in their brief
the experience that comes with ma
turity and age.
Given Free Rein.
You, as laymen. know they cannot
deal with property, they cannot be
trusted with dangerous mechanical
machinery, they cannot get married,
they cannot do many legal things
without the consent and advice Of
some adult, legally related to their
lives But when you think of this
difference between adults and minors.
it is with reference to property and
the laws of property. Yet why should
there be this distinction merely as to
property and not as to morals. man.
ners and behavior? If the child needs
advice in dealing with his property
until he is 81. does, he not all the
more need such advice and guidance
N dealing with his mind and his
morals until he is 81?
though not trIlsted with