Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-17

ADVENTURES OF You've THIEF.-OneVl
the most interesting cases of criminal adveu
ture has recently occurred in the North part o.
this county. Isaac B. Patch, lad not ye
tacelve years Of age, who had been living for the
last four years with his uncle, Solomon b
Towne, in Westminster, stole from him, foul
weeks ago. note of hand, money and silver
ware, amounting in all to the value of $50
and fled to Boston, where he attempted to dis
pose of his stolen property. Unfortunately fol
him, he fell into the hands of police officer
and having confessed his crime, was sent home
in charge of the conductor AT Groton juno
ton the boy managed to escape, returned by
the next train to Concord, and let him
self to work there with Mr.. Phelps. Here
he was soon suspected, and returned to officer
Kimball Of Fitchburg, who was absent from
| home when the young man arrived, and
| through some oversight, which could not be
foreseen, he again escaped He secluded him.
self till the next morning when he took the
Cheshire train, avoiding the conductor till he
arrived at Fitzwilliam, N. H., where he was
detected confessed again, was put on board
the home train in charge of the conductor,
escaped at Ashburnham, and succeeded in let
ting himself to work for Mr.. Pratt, basket
maker, in that town, under the assumed name
of George Clark. This took place on Satur-
day, August 9th He remained with Mr. Pratt
till Friday, August 18th, when, learning that
his true name had been discovered, the con-
firmcd thief that evening, took horse, wagon,
and harness, belonging to Elijah Gross, and
went to Deacon Aliens in Westminster, where
he staid over night. Being questioned on the
subject, the boy said, his father and mother
had recently died and that this was the part of
the property which fell to him. Before Dea-
con Aliens people were astir the next morn
ing, he had escaped without paying his fare.
He proceeded thence to North Orange, about
twenty miles distant stopping at the hotel
there for dinner. Here the little rascal told
the same story, with the addition that he was
going to visit his uncle at Bellows Falls, and
requesting his bill, said he would pay it on his
return. Through variety Of falsehood and
adventure he succeeded in reaching Bellows
Falls, where he was overtaken Sunday morn
ing. August 14th, by Mr. Gross, the owner Of
the stolen team, and put into the charge of
Deputy Sheriff Wetherbee, of Ashburnham.
The precocious boy was brought before
Trial Justice Ware, of Fitchburg, Tues
day morning, pleaded guilty of all that was
charged against him, and was bound over in
o %rn r. II r
the Criminal Court for this county. Failing to
obtain bonds, he was committed to Jail in this
city, to await his trial. Officer Wetherbee was
in pursuit of the young eulprit from Saturday
noon last till 2 o'clock Monday morning hay
ing Travelled with the same horse upwards of
one hundred and fifty miles. This singular
and remarkable example of juvenile crime will
not fail to increase the interest 1.-THE important
inquiry, now uppermost in all minds, as to the
best methods of treating early departures
from honesty and virtue.