New Britain herald., 1927-12-10
However, They Have One Thing in Common. and That Is Making Mistakes That Result in Arrests.


 The bad boy" Of today, as the police know him, is far ahead of his brother Of a decade ago, and his operations, as they are recorded in the files 0. the probation depart ment and on police cour, dockets, include activities Of a nature that very few juveniles Of yesteryear would have thought Of attempting. He is bolder, braver, cleverer, more daring and resourceful. but he re- semblee his brother very decidedly in one respect-he always makes mistakes that result in his appre- hension.
 In New Brit in, where there arc many children in proportion to the whole population. considerable work is provided for the authorities hay ing charge of the suppression os juvenile delinquency. with the re- suit that many interesting facts are observed, principal among them be ing, from one viewpoint at least, in" blase attitude adopted by boys Of tender years who appear entirely unimprcssed by any punishment short of commitment 10 reforma- tories. and some Of them even hear themselves thus deprived of their freedom without making q Whimper. These youngsters. whose agcS range btween g and 15 years. think noth- ing of breaking into business places and stealing money and merchan- disc, and frequently if comes to light that groups, numbering from five to ten boys each. operate for several weeks and longer before being brought up short by the police. criminal tendencies after their first arrest, but in many instances the same boys make their way back 10 court time after time, despite the efforts Of the authorities 10 rescue them from themselves. until finally
 Twenty Years Ago
 Twenty years ago, before New | Britain had an established system of correcting juvenile delinquency, there were bad boys" here as else where, not in the numbers by which they arc counted in this day. but they , knew how to turn a trick when in need Of cigarette money or the price of gallery seat in a theater Those of them who arc living must be startled, however. by the news of the passing years as it refers to the juveniles. A hoy who carried a re- volver in 1900 or whereabouts was worse than bad" He was q mark ed lad. summed by youngst ITS who actually wanted to be regarded as tough because the world had not yet become accustomed to murder on the scale which has since been i reached, and few indeed were the boys or young men who would Wield | firearms and commit highway rob { tery.
 IL is related that three boys. aged | about Is years, walked from New : York to Meriden about 25 yeans ago. and after having spent the night in i a barn. strolled into the business i district n search Of their breakfast. IL became necessary to jcttle an old i man and take his pocketbook, as the story goes, and some time aft CT the trick was plished and the getaway completed, the young men were overtaken and brought 10 the police station. The incident was actually a sensation. News of i' was spread throughout the state, and the i boys were punished while the vic i tim was the object of great sym pathy because of the rough treat ment given him.
 ! Perhaps the bad boys of today wonder what would have resulted had the New York trio held up the old man at the point of a revolver and after having had their break. i fast. sauntered forth to bum" their way into the next state, there tc steal an automobile and drive i. fifty miles Or so before abandoning if for another machine. from which they might direct the riflng Of other cars along the highways and in secluded places. while the newspapers in the vicinity gave column after column tc 7 the reports Of the operations. Per , haps 1t might have been necessary 10 run down a policeman or two, or l fire a few shots at some would -b. capturor. 10 show them that .hs "gang" meant business. If so. the policemen would be knocked dowr and the gun play given. let the re. results be what they may.
 Different Types
 Diagnosis Of different sorts hayt been made by experts in crimino ologl and others concerned with the sub
 feet, but the majority opinion ap. pears 10 be that the spirit of th' times Is at the bottom of the de
 ilnquencv and it is a question
 whether or not q return 10 tn conditions Of the life Of a decad' ago. as they affect the wayWart youths, will ever be accomplished q
 Boys under 1S years Of age in l90l would think q long while befor,
 smashing a window in centrall,
 located store, and not many would
 relish the prospect Of being visited at home by q policeman. The nntir
 neighborhood would he talking th
 next day, and there would be Caus
 for the parents of the interrogate,
 boy 10 be ashamed. but in reCen
 years in certain sections of the eft
 it Is poor day that the police ar not called in, either to make arrest
 or 70 seek information that eventual ly results in arrests, either Of the in
 terview.d boy or his companions.
 Policemen whose duty bring
 them Into close contact with way
 ward youngsters have observed tha