Evening star., 1953-09-28
School Vandalism
Cost D. {. taxpayers
$4,000 in 1852

buC THAI, is only part Oh The
story of destruction that cost
the schools approximately $685.
900 during the past fiscal year
The rest of the story is told
in forced doors. emptied fire ex-
tinguishers, ink spilled indis-
criminately. vending machines
ripped from walls, fish killed in
kindergarten aquariums. broken
desks and lockers, ice cream
left to spoil In open refrigera-
tors, cut telephone wires. obscene
scrawls on blackhoardS, ran
sacked files. food and papers
streWn on f1oors-a record of
Senseless destruction.
During the last fiscal year.
District schools were broken in
to nearly ITO times. From the
vandalism tn at accompanied
these break-ins, police believe
most of the school wreckerS were
juveniles,
Cases Are Cited.
Here are a few cases of dep
relation in District schools dur
ing the last fiscal year:
September, 1952-At Walker
Jones School, door panels were
broken out in II claSSrooms, the
Office, teachers room and Ii
brary. Scissors, pencils, phono-
graph record, a rubber foot
ball and a rubber basketball
were taken. Desk drawers in
three claSSroomS and two chill
dren's chairs were broken. Cafe
terra doors were broken. Acid
was spilled over floor and chairs
of assembly hall, over floor of
cafeteria and over piano cover.
September, 1952-At the Eliot
School. the picture Of Charles
William Eliot was taken off the
wall and obscene language was
scraWled IN its place. Papers
in the assistant principals Of
flee were torn up. The ice cream
freezer was broken open in the
cafeteria. Eye pieces were re-
moved from the microscopes IN
the science room.
october, 1952-Dunbar High
School was ransacked from sub
basement to top floor. Teachers
desks were rifled Four vending
machines were ripped from the
walls of the cafeteria and armory
and smashed. Damage was eS-
timated at 5000.
Third Grader Involved.
October, 1852 - At Noyes
School, a third-grader excluded
from a Halloween party because
of his "anti-social" conduct got
even by breaking five window
panes and a glass door pane,
helping himself to cookies and
candy in several classrooms and
stealing pencils, a patrol badge
and toy soldiers from his own
schoolroom.
November. 1952-At Simon
School, telephone receivers in
the clerks and principals Offices
were cut from wires and stolen.
Cords connecting the dial part
of the phones were also cut.
Later in the month, the school
was ransacked and 18 windows
were broken.
December, 1952-At Congress
Heights School, vandalS plum
dered teachers desks in IL of
the 18 clasSrooms. Obscene
words were scrawled on black
boards. A radio-phonograph
was smashed beyond repair.
Potted plants were tossed into.
the aquarium. In the principals
Office, entered by smashing heavy
paneS of woven wire glass, the
lock and knob OF the door were
removed. The Office was torn
up and the doors were removed
from the supply cupboards. Es-
timated damage, $125.
March. 1953-At Van Ness
School, all claSSrooms in the
main building and the annex
we're entered. Desks and closets
were jimmied and ransacked. A
panel was hacked out of the
principals door. Candy was
strewn over the floor and in the
fish bowl.
"The Adventurous Type"
March, 1858 AT Garrison
School, the intruder left two
notes. One read: I got in by a
hole in a window. I did not steal
anything" The other note
chalked on a blackboard re-
ported, Il am a boy. The ad-
venturous type"
April, 1853 - At Lafayette
School, the teachers room was
left a mess. The room was lit
tered with broken glasses, broken
knives, dirty tea towels and dung.
Even the newly painted ceiling
was stained with dung. In one
classroom with all new fu1ni-
ture, every desk was scratched.
A can of kax was spilled over the
floor. The phonograph was LETT
running, a bottle of ink was
spilled in a classroom hallway
and a box of straws was strewn
over the corridor.
May, 1853 - At Hine Junior
High School, 35 locks were stolen
or broken, typewriter was
smashed, sports equipment was
stolen, three panes of glass were
broken, a door was forced and
the vandals put soap in the
aquarium, killing everything.
Emptied Fire Extinguisher.
May, 1953-At Petworth School.
the locked auditorium doors
were forced open, breaking the
framework. Boxes of graham
crackers were opened and the
contents Strewn over the build
ing. Fern boxes and flower bas-
kets were thrown to the audito-
rum floor. Balls from the class
room were left in the Railways.