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Newspaper Page Text
iiiy Willi jfiippptPiii LEGAL AID SOCIETY FURNISH THE BOYS .COURT WITH A "BIG SISTER" , BY JANE WHITAKER They have a ''Big Sister" in the Boys' Court now. She is Miss Alice ijjThompson, placed there by the Legal Aid Society to act as defender lor """'boys who are unable to hire a lawyer and yet for whom ttiere is much to be said in extenuation. She sat by three boys yesterday as P entered the courtroom, and I heard her say: "These boys, two of them, your Honor, are without mothers or fathers. . Their mothers, are dead and their-fathers deserted them. They work hard and have never been in trouble before. They have been in the county jail for several days now and I believe they have had an opportunity to think this 'over and decide never to do such a thing again. At any rate, they have all told the truth, willingly, and 1 believe if they were paroled for a year they, would not get in trouble-again." The three boys, Stephen, 11, Raymond and Otto, both 18, but all little fellows who looked much younger, .raised wistful eyes to Miss Thompson. They seemed to appreciate shewas doing her best for them 'and they seemed -a. little sorry that they had no't been able to give her any better reason to plead for mercy, and then their eyes traveled, back to the face of Judge Scully and rested there. . Two of them were little red-heads and the sister of one said that she had told him lots of times to keep dway irom "bad boys," but he didn't mind. "They always scolded me at home," the "red head" belonging to sister, interrupted, "Of course they scolded you," Judge Scully said. "They want to make a man of you and you prefer to run around with bad boys and stay out at night and not work. How did you come to steal this pocketbook?" The littlest boy, with sandy hair arid very big blue eyes became the ' spokesman. "We was all out of work and we hadn't any money. And" we- saw a wonian with a pocketbook, and we said: 'Gee, if we had the money she's - got in her .pocketbook!' That's what we thought because we didn't have any mqney. And we , snatched a pocketbook, but we'll pay the money back wheq,, we get working again, if we get a chance." "How did you knowt but what the wqman from "whom ybu stole the pocketbook might not have needed the, money as badly herself?" "Big Brother" Thomas F Scully asked. "Perhaps she had a family and, her children needed that money as badly as you thought you did." The boys were silent. That was a new thought "They told the truth aboutit, your Honor," the Big Sister said again. "I am sure they will be good boys from this time on. They have learned a lesson. If you will just parole them" "I do not excuse their stealing- a pocketbook," the judge said, , "but these boys seem to be the victims of circumstances. Their mothers are dead and their fathers have deserted them. There has been no one to teach them right from wrong or to give them any moral foundation," "They have only blundered this once," the Big Sister said. "I think thejrTvill make, good men if they are given a chance." And they were given a chance pa roled for a year, and the two little redheads, and the littlest b'oy with very" blond hair and big blue eyea looked shyly at the Big Sister and then disappeared from' the court room. , jf JQ i II li8a&