Evening star., 1928-12-11
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

One of the proudeSt days in the his
tory of washington was that which
marked the victory parade Of the SOL
diers when they returned from the
glorious triumph over the enemy OF civ
iliZation. The sunshine was bright and
vet no brighter than the eyes OF the
tens of thousands of triumphant Amer
leans lining the streets along which the
heroes marched, while the bands poured
out their strains of melody, and waving
Old Glory swelled to the breezes.
Tramp, tramp, tramp. the boys
* u Il
There is another parade marching
through Washington much stronger In
numbers than was that one. Can type
picture it in its true cOlOrs?
There are no bands of music to hail
its glory, no flags waving in the cold
wind. There are no shouting multi
tudes crowding the curbs while this pa
rade marches silently and Sullenly. The
boys" appear younger than were those
heroes from the A. E. F.-the fact is
that not one is over 81 years OF age
and most of them range between IL and
20 years, yet they march with the lock-
step even more mechanically than the
military stride of the other regiments.
Some of the marchers hold high their
heads as in defiance or braggadOci0.
Most of the youngsters Siink along with
shifty eyes or bowed faces.
There is a boy who surely cannot
be l6 years old; don't you recognize
him? His mother Is widow who works
hard as a scrubwoman ia a big office
building; she has little time to give to
the care of her son, SO he looks out for
himself. He tried selling newspapers,
but when he joined the gang he quit
such petty work, for the gang show
leaders undertook to teach him to pick
pockets. So he loafed around the
movies and mingled in crowds; it was
easier than selling anything: the SELL
ing game" was left to kids who were
afraid.
**
Yes, there are other boys we have
seen before There is George whose
father is one of our leading citizens
and financierS. The old man" is rich,
and gives George liberal allowance,
SO what more could be expected of q
busy dad? Why is George in this pa
rade of thieves and robbers and slug
gers and criminals of all kinds? There
must be some mistake. The blue-coat-
ed "tile cloSers," with their clubs in
hand so threateningly, must have got
ten the wrong boy.
No? That boy George began gam
bling with his liberal allowance, for
which no accounting was required. He
lost his bet. became furious and stabbed
man who had gambled his money
away from him. Some allege in his
defense that it was bootleg stuff that
led him to rashneSs Now he is march
ing to the big house" for 10 years. and
is lucky that his present objective"
is not the gallows. Only 19 years old
too young to be criminal? There are
i'll that Washington parade-the an
nual turnout in the Nations Capital
1914 boys" between II and Il years,
and 2,973 younger than II. Total de
linquents," 1917, in 1928. Every one
of the marchers has committed. not
misdemeanor, but felony, right here
in Washington within the last year.
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! The boys
are marching!" Literally!
Several years ago, certain "cub
reporter" was doing police news In a
Midwest city, where there had been
no hangings for more than 20 years.
for prominent" lawyer could always
hang" the jury, If he got his price.
probably the Chief Justice Of the
United States Supreme Court today
will tell where that city isl
There was crime wave" the cul-
mination Of that 20 years Of no justice
in courts and no hangings. When es-
pecially atrociouS murders began to
double up. and occur weekly or daily,
and the courts failed, there was a great
indignation meeting of citizens 1000
in Music Hall. where the most prom
inent business men addressed the
crowd and denounced the iniquity of
the courts. That wrought-up 10000
filed out of the hall, at near midnight.
and learned that the last murderer.
who had escaped the gallowS, by his
fathers deciding all his property to the
notorious criminal" lawyer, had been
taken from the Jail during the indig-
nation meeting and started with Off
GERS to the penitentiary, only to es-
cape by jumping off the train. So the
mob burned the courthouse. and in the
riot which followed for days several
leading citizens" were accidentally
killed by getting in the way of the
militia and falling to realize that guns
in soldiers hands were usually loaded
After the three-day battle, the cub
interviewed 55 murderers in the jail
some sentenced some untried-55!
The present writer was a member of
a conference committee which met last
Sunday to consider the appalling
growth of crime in the United States,
The chief of police and chief of detec-
tives were members of that conference,
also several high-ranking officers of
with words-that this E. v. Lucas has