| Show I 1 WAS AS THIEF JT AT J 3 IS AT 7 1 Boy in London juvenile Court Known to Police as asa asa asa I a Thief When Only Three Years Old LONDON Jan 30 OnO Ono can ean easily understand the astonishment expressed c chy by hy the ma magistrate ou ot tho ho bench at Guildhall when hen ho lie he was ns told that a small smaIl Lo boy o of 7 brought ht him for stealing had been known to the tho police police po po- lice lio as a criminal since inco ho was 3 i old The little fellow had cl l as IS a decoy decoy de dc de- de coy co- and so assisted tho ho felonious designs de lie- sj signs of older bo boys bov Tho The lurid details oi ot tho thu malefactor s set art forth foith at the tho police court h by John Myers ere of the thc Jews Jews' Free school and Iud man ot er beneficent aJ agencies in the east elst en end and Iud to him hint us 18 pro probation officer the elder ho boy concerned in the theft was turned over tho the younger desperado d a aged c 7 being boing sent to an in industrial home Mr Ir Myers sought ht out for gome further further fur fur- ther thor light on on this amazing ease case A visit was first pattI paid to the tho school of or whore horo 3 OO boys S arc aro erIn free of cost b by p the philanthropic J Jewish Jowish community I 1 know o the elder boy well wU sa said id Ir Bowman ono one of ot the chief officials and it is just as well wen he ho got ot into th tho han hands s of tho the police 1 I I havo have no doubt Mr Myers l will succeed in in keeping him straight trai ht l fau Many people think tho they thoy ought ht not to pros prosecute cute child thieves ves but as IS a matter mattor of fact it is tho the kin kindest est course they can take Unless the they prosecute we arc are powerless ss ss I know all the tho boys in the school who arc glen gien to systematic pilfering There Thero are only four or fi five fiC C ou out t of and I keep my C eye O upon thorn them as much much as I can If the they can be thoroughly ul fri frightened and if they know that the law is is looking after them then the they aro far more moro likely to keep out of harms harm's ways II What makes child hild criminals Mr Myers Mers said Wb Why the cruelty an antho and tho the carelessness of parents tb to be begin in with I know a case caso in which a tiny child was always stealing and 1 di discovered dis dis' discovered er co covered d why His mother did not feed tho poor little creature properly Sho She used to turn him out into the streets and tell him to pi pick k up what he could Naturally he got into the way of at any food he saw to comfort com corn fort his achin aching little stomach with Then he ho discovered that other things which f ho lie could mi ht pick up might bo La turned into food So bo ho became an habitual thief at nt 5 years of 3 age CI C. C I dont don't say there are aro many such buch pitiful cases but they arc not so 80 vcr very rare and the only remedy is to got cot ot the child chila ri right bt away from its miserable and cruel E surroundings Wherever Where thero there is isa isa isa a good home bome I am entirely in favor of leaving lea children in it For Por example tho elder cider thief in this caso case has parents who do their best Consequently he lie was handed over to mc me to bo be dealt with He lie has gone ono ba back bak k borne home but I have made him solemnly promise Ie 1 To join tho the Jewish Lads Lads' r brigade brigade bri brio gade and attend two drills a R week a 2 To give e up the Compaq company of certain certain tam tain boys of bad character 3 To himself to report me mc two ovenin evenings 15 a w week ok 4 To give ho up selin selling things hin in in the streets II I I II Mr am quite sure SlUe Myers co con continued can that street selling is a n prolific pro source of crime It is bad for bosin boys s in every ory way The lo boys lOyS s 's who get et into trouble aro are those in casual employment Wo We must restore the lie apprenticeship system which tided a boy hop over o the difficult dif years cars between 14 and 19 10 taught him r regular lar habits babits and aud gave tave him an au interest in in- in terest in life |
