"THE MADDEN GANG."

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1920, Page 7

"THE MADDEN GANG."

; YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS IN ' ■ STRATFORD. (From Our Own Correspondent). June 4. A gang of six young "desperadoes" ranging in age from 7 to 13 years, who have been carrying on a campaign of petty thieving on Sunday mornings, appeared before Mr. T. A, B. Bailey, S.M., at the Juvenile Court this morning. There were four separate charges against the lads for offences committed on May 9, 16 and 30. Sergeant Dale conducted the case for the police, and Mr. T. C. Fookes appeared for the parents of two of the boys. Sergt. Dale said that the boys had started on a career of crime, and had been carrying on their operations on Sunday mornings. The first occurrence was when they broke into Mr. D. J. Malone's store. Here they did not do much damage beyond drinking a lot of lemonade. The next time they went to Mr. Malone'3 store they took away three bottles of cordials and some stamps and money, a total value of 8s fld. On another occasion they broke into Mr. John Orr's shop through the back entrance, and stole 4 pipes, 4 packets of cigarettes (which they smoked and therefore made themselves ill) also a box of chocolates. On the same date they entered the shop of Mr. Frederick Oook, pork butcher, and stole some pork sausages and a small aniount of money. The following Sunday they | broke into Mr Newton King's store-room. 1 After entering the small door they found their progress barred by a big sliding door. Not to be stopped they smashed this door through with an axe and got away with some ammunition. This was of no possible use to them, but they took the charges from the cartridges and tried to cause an explosion, fortunately without success.

Sergt. Dale further explained that the boys all belonged to respectable families, but it seemed that there was something wanting when such boys were allowed to .ruR about where they liked on Sundays and cause considerable inconvenience to -shopk-»i)ers. There was far too much jnver crime in Stratford, and it was astr ,a the number of boys he "had br< before the Court since he had been ,11 the town.

The Magistrate: Who is , the ringleader? '

Sergeant Dale: They call themselves the "Madden Gang," which appears to be an idea they had got through going to the pictures. One hoy has, I understand, been appointed captain, and another lieutenant, and they carry out their mischief as a gang.

The Magistrate pointed out to the boys that they were growing up to become real criminals.

The Sergeant: Each of the boys admitted everything when questioned by the police. ,

The Magistrate: That's something in their favor.

The ringleader of the gang, who described himself as the lieutenant, stepped forward at the request of the Magistrate.

The Magistrate: Where did you get the idea from?

The ringleader: From the pictures There was a Madden gang in "The Purple Domino." The Magistrate pointed out to the lads that cleverer boys than they were usually got caught. To the ringleader: What happened to the Madden gang in the pictures 1 The ringleader: They got caught, and s6me were killed.

The Magistrate: Well, if that happens in the pictures it can also happen in real life. After severely admonishing the boys for their mischief, he remarked, that it was difficult to know what to do with them. He thought the whole gang ought to be birched.

Mr. Fookes said there was an extraordinary amount of juvenile crime in Stratford, and something should be done to put ft ( stop to it. To him it seemed that the pictures were chiefly to blame The Magistrate: In the old days we used to blame the penny dreadfuls. Mr. Fookes: Yes, but they reached individuals only, whereas the picture? have their influence on the mass, and when passed by the censor are accepted as being all right. It was extraordinary how some of the pictures managed to get the censor's approval. He thought that the time had arrived for something in the nature of corporal punishment being instituted in order to check juvenile crime.

Sergeant Dale expressed the opinion that the parents did not seem to care what their children did, and let them go to the pictures on their own and whenever they liked. The parents should go to the pictures with their children, and not allow them to see any objectionable pictures. The parents were usually to blame for not looking after their children,

The Magistrate:: I quite agree with you. He added that some pictures were very objectionable for children anil young adults to see. Children of the age of those charged with the offences ought not to be allowed to go to pictures at night. The managers of the theatres! should provide suitable programmes fo<children at matinees. Thpre was no doubt that children appreciated pictures and they did them no harm when of the right class. Mr. Fookes referred to the movement in Stratford for forming a children's mutual improvement society, which, he said, should do much good for the young people.

The Magistrate, addressing the boys, said that he was not going to order them to be flogged, but he would seriously consider the question of flogging for that class of crime in the future. An order would be made prohibiting any of the boys to be out after dark for the next twelve months, and not to attend the pictures unless accompanied by their parents or some other guardian. The gang would have to be broken up, and if they got into trouble in future they were to be charged before him. The Magistrate also ordered that the parents should make good the amount of the damage done, £1 10s 7d, and issued a warning to them to take greater care of their children in the future.