Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-02
JUVENILE
Teen-Agers Off District Streets Tell
Social Worker of Armed Schoolgirls
Continued From Page Al

Continued From Page Al
won't pry for some time. If
they're like other groups Of
girls she's handled in the past,
they'll come to her first,
The girls, all IA and is years
old, had arranged for their
meeting to be held in a private
apartment in the housing de-
velopment.
When we got there, Miss"
Allen-as the girls call her
explained to us, in front Of the
girls in shorts and blouses, that
someone in the housing project
had led her to them. There's
no recreation facility in the
neighborhood and ! heard they
needed someone to help them
get a team organized"
Election Goes Swiftly
Tonight" she told the girls,
I'VE are going to select our Of
Ulcers. Pick the persons most
responsible and who will keep
the girls together and out of
trouble"
The election went swiftly.
"You girls obviously met before
our meeting tonight" Mrs. AL
len told them, laughing. The
girls laughed back. The meeting
adjourned, with the selection of
their uniform colors put on the
agenda for next Wednesday
night.
Mrs. Allen was correct in
assuming the girls would not
talk to US. They answered sim
pie questions, politely and with
ease. But when I asked If any
of them had ever been In any
kind of trouble, there was a
chorus Of loud mos"
Mrs. Allen told us it was
time to leave. You're not 60
ing to get anything here" she |
whispered.
AS we drove off, Mrs. Allen |
Said that she knew two girls |
she thought would talk to us.
She dropped us at a drive-in |
restaurant on East Capitol |
street and went off to find |
chem. II think I'd better see
them first alone" she said.
Serious Talk Waits
She returned about a half
hour later. With her were
Becky and Yvonne. They said
how do you do" when we were
introduced. sat down in the
booth, folded their hands and
looked down at the table, CIV
ing us only side chances.
For some time the conversa-
ton was between the girls and L
Mrs. Allen.
1t took an hour and a half, L
Jumbo" hamburgers and a
Coke before they were COM
Portable enough to make more
than polite talk.
When we we're ready to leave,
Yvonne said: "We'll talk to
you, but not here. Let's go out
side"
We all got into Mrs. Aliens
blue Pontiac, where she often
chats with her girls.
Becky. sitting in the back
seat, said she wanted to talk
first. Il want to get it over
with"
Pausing throughout her story
only to giggle, she ratified off
her family history.
Brother a ShOplifter
She's IA. next to the young
est of six children. Both her
parents we're graduated from
college. Her mother does house
work and her father works in
a postal mailroom.
One of her brothers spent
two years at the District Chill
dren's Center in Laurel on a
shoplifting charge. I'm school,
teachers are always expecting
me to get in trouble. They say.
You're just like your brother
An older sister had an illegit-
innate child.
Il got in trouble about a
month ago-shoplifting," Becky
said. Il took one skirt, a culot-
te. I asked my mother for one
but she wouldn't buy it for me.
1T was the first time" She
clapped her knee and guffawed
loudly. They caught me red
handed"
Acted Correctly in Court
Before I went to court,
said Becky, pointing her finger
at the rowing leader, "she MRS.
Allen told me how to act in
front of the judge. She told
me to act and dress like a lady,
to say yes, ma'am' to Judge
CMarjorie) Lawson and not be
fresh.
Il didn't think I could do
what she asked. I'm wild. /
can't keep quiet But when !
got to court and saw those
other kids being sent off to