This week in Aspen history

“Aspen has a great many very bad boys who have given the marshal much trouble,” noted the Aspen Daily Times on Jan. 30, 1889.

“The troublesome ones are lads from fourteen to seventeen years old, who delight in (being) regarded as young law-breakers. Their latest freak was to establish a headquarters in an old barn back of the engine house, where they congregate and ‘raise Cain,’ to the great annoyance of the people living in the vicinity. They have put an old stove in the place and have collected a lot of ragged bedding, old clothes, etc. It is supposed that, when they get on a lark and are afraid to go home, they sleep in the barn. The badness of the gang is shown by the fact that they fill the air with profanity and talk in such a loud and disgusting manner that the residents cannot put up with it. Marshal Sutton has determined to put a check on the gang. He realizes that if they are allowed to run on they will very soon all be candidates for the penitentiary. He has no authority over them in any way but to punish them for overt acts, and this he will do. He arrested them a number of times, but has heretofore let them go on promise of good behavior. Now he will show them that they cannot defy the law, and if any of them are caught swearing on the streets or committing depredations they will serve the city in the chain gang.”

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