Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 November 1906 — HOODLUMS BREAK LOOSE AGAIN. [ARTICLE]

HOODLUMS BREAK LOOSE AGAIN.

Do Considerable Damage to High School Building.—Confess and Must Pay for Their “ Fun.” ' The hoodlum spirit which appears to be uppermost in the makeup of some of Rensselaer’s prominent young boys, or young men, rather, as they have reached an age where they ought to have some respect for themselves and their families, as well aa the rights of others, broke out again one night last week, when a gang of five of them entered the high school building and smeared roof paint or tar on the windows of several of the rooms, disfigured the wall, and did other damage amounting to more than can be measured in dollars and cents.

It is supposed that the boys intended to have “fun” in and about the school buildings Hollowe’en, but a vigilent watch was ordered kept by the school authorities, and they got no opportunity to display their cuesednese by despoiling public property. Of course it is hardly possible to stand the expense of keeping a regular watch on these buildings to prevent the hoodlum element in the school from tearing them down and throwing the debris out in the street, and advantage was taken of this by the boys implicated, with the result that considerable damage was done. A quiet investigation was started by Superintendent Warren and the school board, and the names of the guilty parties were learned. On being charged with the offense, in a way that denial was of no avail, they confessed and agreed to pay the damages. The [names of the boys, as reported to' The Democrat, are: Senior Hopkins, Bradley Ross, Hugh Kirk, Jim Brenner and Ray Parks. All are of prominent families here, and are probably 17 to 18 years of age. All, or nearly all of them, are the same boys who were mixed up in disturbing the class party at H. O. Harris’ a couple of years ago, the disturbance at the lawn party at G. F. Meyers’ last fall, and perhaps other similar acts of cussedness that we do not now call to mind, and are all attending high school, and part of them belong to the foot-ball team. The cleaning of the paint from » the window panes —almost an endless job, as it is said to have been an enamel roof paint that was used —has been delegated to the boys for their part of the work of repairing the damage done, while the other repairs, which it is estimated will cost about sls, will be hired done, and the boys—or their parents, richer —will have to settle the bill.

There will probably be no criminal prosecution, although* it was reported that the grand jury was investigating the matter, and, of course, affidavits could be filed by any one at any time. Part of the boys have been in court before for some of their bad behavior and were let off with a reprimand, while the papers have considerately refrained from publishing their names. It is, indeed, hoped that their last escapade will be a lesson they will heed, and that the younger boys, who rather look up to some of them because of their age and the prominence of their families, will not seek to emulate their bad examples.