The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-30


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TmIEvISG AT THE NAVY YARD-THB BOYS
! EMPLOYED DISCOVERED STEALING COPPER
/ A TIMELY ARREsr.-On Saturday the dis
Covery was made at the nayy-yard that u
number of the boys there employed have for
some time past been engaged In petty thcits
of copper and other articles from the yard,
which but for the timely arrest OF nearly all
the Juveniles In the yard would have resulted
| in a serious loss to the Government. The
affair having been brought to light but n
few hours before work In the yard ceased on
/ Saturday, and as the matter has not as yet
been thoroughly Investigated, We can give
| but q portion of the facts In connection with
the theft. 1t appears that there have been
! FOR some months q number of lads en-
ploycd In the "oakum loft," but work In
that department becoming slack several OF
them were assigned to duty as "water car
rlcrs" In the laborers' gang. Here they found
an opportunity to steal from various locali-
ties copper bolts, copper wire and other arti-
cles of value. These they would conceal In
n mass Of oakum in convenient hiding places,
and watching their opportunity would Sc
crete portion about their persons, and ut
quitting time" pass the gate without de-
lection.
Another plan was TO carry the stolen arti-
Clcs TO the "slnks" which stand Just over the
edge Of the wharvcs, throw them in, and at
low tide the boys would 20 outside Of the
yard, wade In, and pick out the stolen pro-
perty from the river. One Of the watchmcn
In the yard was the first to discover the sys-
! ten of thieving, by finding lot Of the stolen
property wrapped round with oakum and
secreted near one Of the gates. He at once
reported It., and watch was set, the result
being the arrest of nearly all the boys en-
ployed In the yard, a large number of them
being implicated In tho theft. The ring
leader of the young thieves is said to BIZ lad
named Henry, alias "SOuser" Smith. The
/ gang were taken before Admiral Dahgren,
who is conducting the examination with q
view to obtaining all the facts In connection
with the matter. The stolen articles, 1t seems
have been sold to various Junk dealers of the
city, who, II culpable, should be punished for
aiding IN this robbery of the Government.
One of these dealers, named William Digs,
has been found with stolen articles in his
shop. 1t Is impossible as yet to ascertain
what Is the total amount Of stolen copper
that has been taken from the yard,
The LETTER CARRIERS AT TUE New
SCHUTzEN PARK.-Ou Wednesday next the
letter carriers of the city, all well-known
aud respectable gentlemen, propose Il grand
picnic at the new Schutzen park, the use Of
which, rs u great favor, has been obtained,
The park being easy Of access, with beautl-
ful woods and splendid dancing pavilion, q
delightful time may very properly be anti.
cipated. We are satisfied that all who may
favor the "boys in grey" with their company
will enjoy themselves greatly.
Tue Chromieie, noticing the dizziness of the
times and the difficulty of getting news, says;
"Thc sensation of the bottle mystery las
died away, and nothing Of much Interest ap.
pears in the prospective, except base ball"
So the Chronicle at last admits that II was
badly sold, and that the "bottlc mystery"
was all Il sensation after all. The REpUDLI-
CAN saw through it from the first