Evening star., 1931-06-21
MOTHER EXPLAINS |
FAILING" HER BOY
At the Age of Four He Wanted
to Go Places and See
Things.
(continved From First PageJ

nent three times before he was years
old and Travelled on both coasts and
had so far as I can fathom the INST
ter, simply acquired taste for travel
particularly by train or street car--he
always tried TO board cars when
wandering.
Spanking Ineffective.
The discipline followed these excur.
sions was usually that OF being put
to bed for the remainder of the day
When he was smaller and climbed tho
back yard fence or ran away while
out walking he had been spanked, bui
spankings seemed to have signally slight
effect on him. So that form OF dis
cipline was abandoned.
We have been in Annapolis foul
months, and until the middle of May
there was no recurrence OF the wander
lust urge. He has been continually un.
der supervision, Of course, by nurse anc
by members of the family. In May NJ
ran away twice to the Naval Academy
was put to bed one time with no effect
with no effect. 1t will be understood
that although I do not approve Of cor
poral punishment, I was ready to try
even discarded methods in an attempt
to curb his going afleld where he wa:
in danger of falling overheard or o.
being run over. Shortly after that ht
ran away to market space. climbed or
the fishing boats and was brought back
to me by Chief Of Police Holiday, drip
ping wet, because he had fallen over
board and been pulled out by a larger
boy.
Last Sunday he was playing out
doors, ran away. and was brought back
from the railroad trestle over College
Creek, where he was blithely walking
the tracks on the way to New York
At the Bladen Street Station / was tole
that he had come in and asked for
ticket, and that they had seen hin
walk away up the tracks when he was
refused. Naturally / cannot expect to-
tai strangers to nurse my child for me
but since grown people can calmly
watch 4-year-old walk away ur
railroad tracks it seemed to me more
than ever imperative that I find some
way Of teaching my child the dangers
Of such conduct.
Depend on Kindness.
He has a sublime faith in the BELLE
,, that every one will always be good Il
him and that he is too clever to be in.
jured in any way. For two years have
described the horrors of automobile &C
cidents to q little boy who listened
calmly and unbelievedly. l will moi
allow him to be frightened by tales o.
policemen who cut of boys hands, anc
other bogey tales sometimes volunteered
by outsiders, and as a result he adore.
policemen and looks forward to tht
same cordial treatment from them tina
was accorded him in the Long Beach
police station. where he was fed apple:
and cookies
His Long Beach nursery schoo
teacher, who has studied child pSy'
chology, advised me to arrange a fake
kidnapping, have him picked up some
time when he ran away and detained
away from home for a few days II
order to give him some concrete ides
of the definite results Of his behavior
I was unable to arrange SO elaborate
a scheme, but last Monday I went IL
and asked him to take the boy intC
custody, after q running away that
would supervise, and keep him at thu
station all night. Chief Holiday wa!
most reluctant to agree. because he fell
that the experience would be too try.
ing for q mere baby. I assured hin
that would take all responsibility
for the effect on the child, and die
not feel that was asking too much
Of the police, because If Roger coul6
be cured of this habit they would be
saved much trouble-they had beer
already sent out to search for him sew
eral times. Why should not police, as
well as doctors, do preventive work as
well as curative?
Agree on failing.
Chief Holiday agreed to take him
simply as a favor to me and said that
he preferred not to keep him all night
but that part was left open, to depend
on Rogers reaction. This was sched-
uled for Wednesday. That afternoon
Just before leaving the station house
Chief Holiday told Commissioner
Waller about the plan to bring the boy
to the station. No mention was made
as to the length of time he was to be
kept, which was not yet settled. Chief
Holiday. acting on my request, gave
his men instructions to pay no atten-
ton to Roger beyond the cursory on
cial attention necessary. He was to
be neither frightened no coddled.
He was taken of the w., B. & A.
train at West Street Station by Chief
Holiday at pm. Chief Holiday had
told me that he would attend to the
matter personally so that the boy
should not be frightened by harsh
treatment. We arranged for him to
get on the train at Maryland avenue
because we hoped to cure him of his
idea that he could 60 to New York
if he once boarded a train, and the
conductor was schooled to ask for his
ticket, then say that children were not
allowed to travel alone and put him of
at West street. At $3.50 went over
to the station house, saw him asleep,
and left q pillow and blanket and some
bread. I was told that he had cried
a little, talked about blowing up the
station house and then gone to sleep.
At pm. telephoned On1cer Virgil
Linton, who told me that Roger had
been awake but was now asleep and all
right. I do not believe that Roger
cried his heart out in the cell, as some
of the more sensational reports have
had 1t, but I would be perfectly willing
to have him weep all of several nights
in order to insure his not being killed
or manned for life.
Commissioner Angered.
At IL pm. my sister and her escort
went to the station house and were
told by Officer Linton that Roger was
all right but that Commissioner Lee
Waller had been in and was furious
over Rogers being there. I asked If
the commissioner wished us to bring
him home and was told no, that since
it was arranged it could continue, but
he was quoted as saying that if he had
been in town it would not have been
allowed. When I went to bring Roger
home at 8 am. Thursday morning, ]
was surprised to see three gentlemen
get out of a car at the station house
just as reached the door. They went
into the cell room and was indignant
because Chief Holiday had promised
that my child would not be Ynolested