THE COLONIAL LARRIKIN.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 231, 6 December 1888, Page 2

THE COLONIAL LARRIKIN.

A fact which is anything but a pleasant one to realise has lately been demonstrated with great force, that is the terrible course into which many of our colonial youth are drifting. In New Zealand they have not got nearly so bad as in Australia, but they are fast developing in that direction. The other day in Auckland a number of youngsters were prosecuted for theft. They actually broke into a public school, and stole ill the loose cash they could get hold of, besides generally pillaging and overturning everything, as their evil fancies persuaded them. It took the oiretaker and her help three hours to put things to rights ag.in. After all this one of the parents had the impudence to turn upon and abuse the teacher for the part he had taken in bringing the young criminals to justice An Auckland paper sonsi ly remarks ’’ It is greatly to be regretted that, tn the case of criminality in children of so tender years, it cannot bo pun la 'ed and punished adequately in the persons of their parents It is all nonsense to say that th y cannot control their children. Men have no right to allow 1 heir offspring to become a nuisaue.e to society, and society -hould hold them responsible f anti, as unfortunate children of such years cun hardly have ful'y realised the consequence of starting on a criminal career, the parents who have neglected to instil the knowledge into them should bo called to account in their stead. The whipping of the children Was good, but the Suing of the parents would have been far better; and though the imposition of a pound fiue, with costs in each case, is in the direction of reaching the sensibilities of the parents, it is greatly to be regretted that the parents are not held directly responsible, and made to suffer accordingly. The assertion of inability to control children ot such age is simply the admission of indolence and indifference, and it is ibis criminal laziness in parents, that is causing the frightful harvest of juvenile and, subsequently,' of adhlt criminality, The law holds parents to the duty of supplying food and clothing to their children, and it is esrtainly a defoot in ths lkvf t IMI It idM net hold t psrent 11 Wf

responsibilities for providing that care and control which are of infinitely more importance to society, if not to the child himself. In such a case as this public sentiment should sustain the hands of magistrates in both whipping and fining juvenile offenders. Pity is that the former as well as the latter cannot be brought home to the indolent parent, who cheerily leaves society co bear the affliction arising out of his begetting of lawless children.” The other day two Dunedin youths committed an abominable cruelty on a horse, which caused the skin to peel off the wretched brute ; yet one culprit escaped and theother was only fined three pounds ! If the young scoundrels had got fifty lashes it would have been less than they deserved. If there is not some attempt to nip this sort of thing in the bud we fear very much for the future. In Melbourne lately a band of larrikins, who were more or less under the influence of liquor, went to the house of a Chinaman named Ah Jack, a cabinetmaker, in a lane off Little Bourke street, and one of them named Stephen Cutler called upon Ah Jack “tn stand drinks for the crowd.” This Ah Jack declined to do, and he was struck on the face and threatened to be killed. The blow brought blood, and several of Ah Jack’s countrymen who were present became excited, and prepared to defend themselves with sticks. The larrikins taking fright, bolted down the lane and met a Chinaman named Ah Yong. He had nothing to do with the disturbance, but he was promptly knocked down, the Chinamen say, by Cutler. Ou Ah Yong attempting td rise he was knocked down again and kicked and trampled upon in a most cowardly manner as he lay on the ground. The larrikins, when it was too late, noticed a deathlike palor spread over the poor Chinaman’s face, and guessing the truth, they all made themselves “ scarce.” Cutler did not make off so quickly as his companions, and he was followed by Ah Jack. When he got into Little Bourke street, Ah Jack set up the cry of “ Police,” and in a very short lime a crowd of 300 or 400 hundred people were in hot pursuit of Cutler, After a long chase he ran into the arms of a constable, and was arrested on the information supplied by Ah Jack. When brought to the Little Bourke street watch-house he stated that he was twenty six years of age and a laborer by occupation. He denied that he had been near the scene of the affray, and explained that he ran away because he was afraid the Chinamen intended to do him some injury. All the Chinamen who were there at the time, however, assert that he was the man who struck Ah Yong. Ah Yong was taken to the Melbourne Hospital, and he was found to be dead, his external wounds being a broken nose and an abrasion under the jaw, which indicated that he had sustained a severe blow.