Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-14
DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL
BEING STUDIED TO FIND CURE
Heredity, Environment and Other InAu-
ences of Great Observation-Disclosures
Never Responsible, Says Psychologist.
ARTICLE VII.
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.

ARTICLE VII.
BY LOUIS SEIBOLD.
Records of the Police Department
the courts and welfare organizations
provide numerous examples of how
the average criminal is developed ir
New York City. Like men in every
walk of life, the gangster, the burglar
and the killer must start at the bot
| tom.
| Social workers of many welfare or
CARNATIONS are concerning themselves
more and more with the treatment OF
| potential lawbreakers rather thar
wasting time over the hardened anG
| professional crook. Their hope is tC
| destroy the roots of evil before it is
| too late.
The work of the Children's Court in
| trying to save the youth from becom
| ing a professional crook is one of the
most potent influences for doing away
with lawlessness. Thirty years age
| when a juvenile was convicted of crime
and sentenced to prison it was alb
solutely certain that on his release he
| would drift into a life of permanent
| criminality, moving from one offense
| to another, with no hope Of regainine
an honorable place in society.
Many Rescue Agencies.
Today, however. many splendid or
CARNATIONS made up of scientifically
trained and devoted workers are trying
to save first offenders from a life OF
crime. The Catholic Protective So
| ciety, the Jewish Board of Guardia MS
the Salvation Army, the Big Brother
Movement, various homes, missions
guidance bureaus and mental hygiene
clinics are engaged in the work of res.
cuing Juveniles from criminal habits.
A sample Of the problem presented
to these organizations IS provided by
the case of Harry Goldstein. His home
environment was not of the best. The
relaxed discipline there led him easily
into contemptuouS attitude toward
his school teachers. Truancy from
school and boyish hero worship of
gangsters with movie trimmings
started him off.
His case is pretty we'll described in
the files Of the Jewish Board of Guard
ianS by Mrs. Augusta Slesinger, direc.
tor of juvenile guidance bureau op-
perating in the most thickly congested
quarter of New York's lower East
Side.
WI
Young Goldstein's father was a
pants presser earning SIS a week.
His mother suffered from a chronic
disease and was unable to take care
Of Harry and his five brothers and
sisters One day Harry, then 16, made
the acquaintance Of a boy IS while
playing truant from school.
This boy was ambitious to qualify as
a gangster. He regarded Goldstein as
a promising recruit for his gang. He
pointed out the simplicity with which
easy money" could be obtained with
out working. He said that "only the
boobs get caught"
He proved to be so plausible that
young Goldstein listened to him, with
the result that he was sent to a pro-
stationary school, although no crime
had as yet been fixed on him. The
charge was merely persistent tru-
ancy."
Further bad conduct was responsible
for young Goldstein's commitment to
the Jewish Protectory. There he made
the acquaintance Of Harry Spivak.
When he was released young Gold
stein started on a better course and
he made $12 week as salesman.
His mother became i'll and needed an
operation. Then Spivak showed up.
To him Goldstein related his troubles.
Goes After easy Money"
what do you want to work for?"
asked Pivak. "I'll show you how to
make some easy money. There amt a
chance of us getting caught. Take this
gun. Just point it at the boob show
you and We'll get some coin. Wen
make $3.50 easy"
The two youths entered store, held
up the owner, robbed the till and
turned to flee. Then Goldstein lost
his head and struck the shopkeeper
with the pistol, gravely injuring him
The boys were caught and Goldstein
was sentenced to five years in Elnira
The Judge wanted to send him to Sing
Sing, but Mrs. Slesinger's pleas pre-
vailed. The boy was sent to the re-
formatory in the hope OF saving him
from becoming an habitual criminal
He is in the reformatory now.
Goldstein's brother, when he en-
tered school, was placed by the Jewish
Board of Guardians among group OF
young boys getting special attention
in an effort to save them from crime
ut is a matter of grave concern to
us to save as many of these young
bows as we cam" Mrs. Slesinger says
THE crime situation is not only bad
III
feels the disgrace brought upon his
family, He is open to the same evil
influences which led to his brother's
crime.
Proper Influence Vital.
I'VE are attempting to advise and
guide him. AS long as he stays under
our influence he will be safe. If every
child in a similar situation could have
the protection Of some social organiza
ton the harmful effects of modern
urban life might be neutEaliZed, and
the causes for crime being removed
the situation would brighten at once
"Of course, the real effects of such
work as ours will only begin to be
felt when the children under our in
fluence grow up to lead decent lives
instead of drifting into criminal ways
There are, however, any NUMBER OF
practical things which could be done
at once to relieve the difficulties these
children suffer under.
According to Mrs. Slesinger, one OF
the chief shortcomings of New York
life from the point of view of children
in the poorer districts is lack of
proper recreation.
This condition is particularly true
in the Bronx" she says. In that
borough there are 900 people and
not enough proper recreational cen.
tiers for half that number. Instead
of decent meeting places, reading
rooms. clubrooms, dances, parties
and games for the children, there are
movies and cheap dance halls where
the hip flask is always in evidence.
Environment Perilous.
ALSO there are automobile joy rides.
which often enough end in accidents
of one kind or another. The whole
mental and moral atmosphere of that
tyne of amusement is degenerating In
it's effect and unless it is improved
we can expect the poor quarters OF
the city to continue producing thou
sands of petty or major criminals
each year"
Social workers frequently find that