New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-16
AGANG OF JUVENILE CRIMINALS.
SEVEN BoY-BURGLARs ARRESTED.

numerous gangs Of juvenile Burglars committing ex-
tepsve depredations and not unfr quently performing
exploits which almost equIed in dariog the feats Of
the late Mr. Sheppard Now and then the police ar
resis or three of the young thieves and sent them
to the House Of Refuge but the gangs were generally
70 large that these occasional loppogs off did not in
any way dimiuish the main body. The vacant places
were soon filed with recruits, to whom due To-
suactions we're given. The members Of these gangs
range from 10 TO 10 years Of age, and all children
Of poor pers,rs living in the vicinity Of the Five
Points.
Nothing in the way Of plumber escapes their greedy
eyer but instead of gaining much money IN the dis
portion of their booty, they are defrauded by the
receivers, ard put off witha trifiDg sum- The gangs
referred to were heretofore known as " lead-pipe
tbieyts but latterly they have extended their pro-
gran me and may be considered as regular house.
breakers. The business was commenced four or five
yesrs ag, by three four boys who got together one
night and entering a new building, stripped it OF Ill
tie Crotonwater ixtures, shutting Oft the water 10
the cellar, and then tearing out all the leadppe The
great unber Of new and unprotected houses in the
upper Iat OF the city afforded 6ne field for the oper-
stioDs of The Lead pipe thieves and during year
it estimated that damage to the amount of so 900
done BY these young depredstors during their
cprslors.
From stealing lead pipe they extended their opera
tors, tesrir off locke and knobs and gas Gxtrres.
and destroying oti household appointments. In all
their operations they have been encouraged by recsiv
ers and in the event of arrest the later have been
known to their influence and spend money TO OBJ
tain their liberty. During last year many families,
upon returning TO their dwellings from the country,
fourd their ouses turned upside wn. Elegant
mets would he scattered here and there and the floor
Uttered up with valuable papers and documents. There
security against the young thieves, except TO
leave responsible person In charge Of the premises,
and tits plan many persons have recently adopted.
Three or four months sgothe Police received inforna-
ion Of numerous robberies that had been peperated
abcut the city and from the eXaminaonof the premises
10 other conclusion could be arrived at except that the
depIedaiions were committed by lssd-pp- thiaves.
The week before last two dwelhg-houses in b nd
street were tered and thoroughly rapssoke1. One
belongs to hIr Adams, who with his family is absent
in the country. Everything was overturned, closets
thoroughly overloaded, boxes and drawers empiied,
befs stripped Of their bedding, gas and Croton wafer
PIPES torn Of. Property to the amount Of 81 800, in
the share of clothes and bouehod articles carried
away ard disposed Of to receivers and pawnbrokers.
msptsl click, valued at 100, was broken up aud
sold for - 80 The other house stripped OF lead pipe
snd two magnificent chandeliers were broken up.
Tie rotbtIies occurring in the Fifteenth Ward, the
matter was placed in the hands of Sergeant Bants AID
Officer Sherlock, who have been at work night and
Day for the last week in watching the gang. Yesterday
the officers nearly completed their work, haypDRr-
rftted the etre gang, and recovered the greater part
of the stolen property Two of the boys one of whom
wss the Jack Shepherd Of the gang rendered mserial
aid to the ticers in finding aud Identifying the stolen
articles, which they had cold or pawned The fellow
irg joint confession from two of the boys gives fair
insight into their operations:
CONFESSION or ANDREW FITZGERALD AND JOHN
BURKE.
About three months ago, boy named Johnny Jones
CONN epeed stealing lead pile from house IN 5hiu-
bone alley in Bond street. between Broadway and the
BoweTy, ard soon after engaged In stealing bras and
everything that he could get hold Of in unoccupisd
houses. Beitg in his operations, be took In
partnership Lawrence Dom and John Faran, and the
three went about stealing pipe and brass from aug
house they could get into. They, first
weot into he Of store on Shinbone alley one
morning sbou O'Clock apd stole half dozen bottles
OF ooogHe, which they sposed Of daring the day. sell
u / for ore. two and three cents per bottle. This
work they kept up about two weeks, stealing coogGe
every Uigyt al ceiling il during the day. They were
finally caught in the Fourteenth Ward by Policeman
Sullivan. Dunn vas h4oong, " Here's yonr cologne
water, three cents bottle" when the officer asked
him where he got it from. Dunn said he found
il On a leg in sbiIbone alley but the officer, not
liking etory took him 10 the Station. House, and
upon tXamniIg his pockets, found 40 cents 10 them.
Dunn after being locked up awhile, confessed where
he got cclogUe, WHEN the owner of the property
forward md identified it. He swcre that over
carl Dad had been stolen from bis place. Dunn got
OF prison ball. and escaped. lacy used to take
tie cologne cut in the morning and hide it in
cellar in Houston street until they got ready to
,, eel i. Ore morning while they were stealing
cocgpe girl in neg boring house save them
raising the window 10 get into the premises, and told
them TO 4" Get away or she would have them ar
psed.' Dunn drew an unloaded pistol and snapped
cap at her, which frightened her that sue was AFRAID
to raise alarm. They then went into the house un-
noeettd.
After getting all the cologne they could, they
auOrs W. Fitzgerald and Burke and took into the
gang, which tLen numbered i've
Dom who WAS at the head Of the gang, told rs he
knew of a picture.store on Broadway near Eleventh
street, that conld easily rob- so one morning,
about 81 o'clock we went mp there aUd eater'd the
Jla through the cear-door and took observations OF
tie locke In the evening, after the place was shut,
we went up again ard stole three oil paintings and
two cravings, which took to our houses III Mott
street. The MAp Wa moving away, and thus we had
b beiter opportunity 10 get IN. We went up to this
place three times and last Dunn brought three
smaller boys than ne, named WI AID John Taylor
tTo,ttn), ard Billy MctilOan. They were 10 carry
away the email articles and offered them fxpeDce
each. After getting our stuff we separated, and on
tle way home the three little boys were Stopped
BIZ n policeman, ard being unable "a give any &c
count Of hen selves were taken to the NJ atom
House in the Fiite' nth Ward. Willy, Jo1nuy, and
Billy bowed the of the gsrR and the police az
nsed DUN aId both Of Us fitzgerald and Burke
The magistrate sent Dem and Burke 10 h- Juvenile
Asyluu, from which the former escaped. BarSe was
discharged after ten days imprisonment. Jurtic- Con
molly RAID be would lei me (Fiizgerald) 20 because
dion ihSe anyth rg We then got together again an
or, cked rev building in Eighth street, near 'fhr
aysrue, which We striped Throughout Of lead pipe,
e'eh one carrying away losc. We wen, up there
three times, al each trip carried away lead
No -fli he att IN. NJ i,tnE IN