09 April 2008

Mischievous Twins at the County Jail

This wild story appeared in my favorite newspaper over 100 years ago. It's hard to believe that we blame kids' misbehavior on video games! These two kids would have been safer with a Gameboy!

TWINS SET JAIL AFIRE

Mischievous Little Boys Cause a Stampede in Somerville.

SOMERVILLE, N.J., Nov. 8. - George and Irving Blaney, twins only 10 years old, now confined in the old Somerset County Jail, charged with stealing, set fire to the mattresses in all the cells on the upper tier this morning by throwing in red-hot coals from the stove in the corridor.

This was done while the prisoners were taking their morning exercise. The smoke soon filled the west side of the jail and caused a stampede among the inmates. Mrs. Anderson, wife of Deputy Sheriff Anderson, heard the prisoners screaming and saw the blaze. Sheriff Cooper turned in a fire alarm, and then began transferring the prisoners to the other side of the jail.

The twins stoutly denied having caused the fire, but ever since being confined in the jail they have been up to all kinds of mischief. They will be taken to the Reform School to-morrow.

[The New York Times, 9 November 1906]

5 comments:

  1. Greg - I don't have your email address anymore, but you have my sympathy. :-)

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  2. Clever, leaving your comment over here! I appreciate it, I really do. I expect to have people disagree with my opinions, even deserve it - as sometimes my opinions can be "out there"!

    But no one deserves this. I really don't know what to do next.

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  3. Well, there are many times, and this is one of them, that I would rather talk "off-line" - but again, I no longer have your email address. Email me while patmedia still exists - think there's only two weeks left? - and then I'll have your e-address again.

    In the meantime, just don't answer. I know - simple advice, impossible to follow - like - just eat less ... but nothing is served by all the back and forth - only a couple of diehards bother to read it - I'm not one of them - so who reads it that will make a difference? There will never be any consensus, so why bother?

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  4. Geez, did it really finally stop? Reputable bloggers have always thought long and hard about using the delete button on comments, but you had to have been sorely tempted.

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  5. I've only ever used the delete button to get rid of automated spam.

    After he gets some reaction to his letter in the Beacon today, he will be like a shark. No doubt he will return - and complain about people hijacking blogs and forums to promote their campaign of hate - HA HA HA!

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