By Sandy Vasko

I have heard many adults describe the wild times of their youth and murmur, “That’s when I was young and stupid.”

We were all young and stupid at one time, some of us were lucky and our stupidity did not reach to the level of calling law enforcement. Today, we look at teenagers and the law.

Our first story involves an innocent young man who got involved in a man hunt. The fact that he was carrying a gun may seem odd to you, but things were different back then.

From May 26, 1868 Joliet Signal: “On last Friday two convicts made a singular attempt to escape from the penitentiary. They were at work in the boot and shoe manufactory of Mr. F. Mack, and the foreman, Mr. Butler, being unwell, laid down in his office a moment to rest, during which time – not over ten minutes – these two convicts, assisted by some of their fellow prisoners, were boxed up and placed on the wagon with a number of other boxes filled with boots and shoes, to be brought to the city.

“On that day Mr. Mack happened to drive the load himself. When he had left the prison and reached the open prairie, his strange freight came forth from their boxes with large knives in their hands and told him if he attempted an arrest or gave an alarm, they would take his life.

“As soon as they had left the wagon, he turned and drove rapidly to the residence of Mr. Wm. O’Brian, one of the guards of the prison, who, fortunately, happened to be at home. In company with Mr. O’Brian, Mr. Mack then pursued the convicts, and soon captured one of them.

“The other still continued to run and threatened to kill any who should attempt his arrest, when he came near Mr. Albert Stevens, a young man about seventeen years old, who was practicing with a revolver. Mr. O’Brian requested him to shoot the ferocious convict, which he did, wounding him in the shoulder so that he was easily captured. They were both returned to their quarters in the prison.”

Our next story involves a young man who had not even reached his teen years. From July 15, 1876 Joliet Signal: “A precocious youngster distinguished himself in the town of Homer a few days ago. He stole a horse and buggy and was only captured after a vigorous pursuit of three of four hours.

“The buggy and horse stolen belonged to Mr. E. B. Shaw, of this city (Joliet), and was taken from in front of Mr. Granger’s House, where Mr. Shaw had momentarily left it. The little cub when found, was several miles away and had stopped with a farmer for the night, having first told him that his father had just bought the horse and that he was taking him home. The little fellow is a tramp and claimed to be from Chicago, and is about nine years old and small for his age.”

Hopping a freight was a common infraction of the law. From November 23, 1876 Joliet Signal “One young gentleman of Irish extraction, aged about 15, was marched into the calaboose on Saturday evening for jumping a moving railroad train – a common trick of the hoodlums about town now-a-days. A sympathizing son of Israel (a Jewish person) came near sharing the ‘lonely cell’ on the same occasion. Serves ‘em right.”

Young love is the cause of the next criminal deed. From February 1, 1879 Joliet Signal: “James Hanley and James Broderich, the two young ruffians who shot and nearly killed Miss Sullivan on the public highway near Braidwood last fall, and were at the time, released on bail by a justice of the peace, were Friday morning taken to Joliet by Deputy Sheriff Stewart.

“Bail was taken by State’s Attorney Flanders, in the sum of $1,200 each for their appearance when wanted by the circuit court, which is now in session. This shooting was done, it is claimed, because Miss Sullivan refused to dance with one of the indicted parties at a ball, and was in all respects an aggravated case.”

The young ladies in this story, while in trouble, let fear overwhelm them. From January 20, 1911 Wilmington Advocate: “Freda Kempa, aged 17, and Stella Maxwell, aged 18, two Joliet young ladies were arrested Tuesday in Lemont, and placed in the jail there for having fur garments in their possession which it is said were taken from a dance hall in that city.

“The young ladies for fear of public scorn, chose death to disgrace, and Wednesday evening during the absence of the jailer deliberately set fire to their clothing, turning their bodies into living torches. When discovered they were horribly burned and later placed on a train and taken to Joliet where they both died Thursday.

“The former young lady was well known in Florence where she had resided with her sister, Mrs. A. Roush, for several months.”

Sandy Vasko is Director on in of the Will County Historical Museum & Research Center and President of the Will County Historical Society.