The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-02-02
A YOUTHFUL PRIG.
A Number of Articles Which He
COnfesses Stealing.

COnfesseS Stealing.
Petty thieving has arrived at de-
gree of perfection in this city OF late.
Things have been stolen without
number, from all places. and of all
kinds, and it is not often that either
the thief is discovered or the articles
recovered. A day or two ago an old
lady had an axe stolen and from the
description of it, aud other circum-
stances, Officers William Salmon and
Andrew Smith got on the track of
whers it had been sold. and pretty
clear idea OF the person who bad
stolen il. This was a boy named
John Nash. On Tuesday Officer
Salmon went to the School.
house in the Fifteenth Ward.
where the boy, who is only
about Is years OF age, was, and
called him out. The young fellow
was frightened and seemed to imagine
what was coming as be inquired what
was wanted of him. Mr.. Salmon told
the boy he wanted him to tell about
those things he had stolen, and to
make a clean breast OF it. The boy
innooently asked if the officer meant
the quilts, and he was told yes, and
asked how many he had stolen. He
said five. and then told where
he had sold them. The officer led
him on from one thing to another,
and the boy answered telling what
other things he had stolen, and to
whom he had disposed of them;
until he asked who had told MIR.
Salmon all these things. He was
brought up town, and described q
number OF the articles. Officers
Salmon and Smith visited the second
hand stores to which the boy had
said be had sold many of the arti-
Giles, and found them as described,
the proprietors acknowledging that
they had obtained them from the
boy. The articles confessed to have
been stolen byi Nash, and sold 70
the various secondhand stores are
given as follows:
He sold to Mrs. Madsen: Five quilts
for $3.50; two Overcoats, 81; one horsa
blanket, 4Oc.; one axe, 15c; and one
brass bucket, I0c.
To Maltese: Two quilts, 90c; two
shovels.s 40c.; and one copper boiler, 25c.
To Brooksbank: One gum coat, 50c.;
and one pair of gum boots, %.
To Stirling: One hay knife, 25c.
To Atkins: Two axes, 60c.
Upon examination of the second
hand places named, some of the
articles were found, and the police
told the proprietors not to dispose of
them. The boy stated that be could
not think OF them all just then, but
would probably be able to do 30. He
said that some OF them had been
taken from wagons at the Temple
block and from other places. He
will be examined this morning by
Judge Piper. and the articles de-
or such ofthem as have been
discovered, will doubtless be there for
Inspection.
From the manner 10 which the boy
talked OF the theta, while he recog-
nizes that be has been guilty OF a
wrong, it is apparent that ne does
not begin to realizs its sxtent. From
the frequency of thelts of this kind,
and from the number OF articles sold
by this boy, to one or two second
hand places, it is certain that be has
received encouragement, though
doubtless unintentional, in his
operations. He has been
able to sell the articles. and while
those who purchased them are not
supposed to know that he stole them,
they must have known, had they
thought. that many of these things
could, in no reason, have been the
property of the boy, and every time
they purchased from him they en-
coursged him in his thefts- He says
thst only yesterday he went to one
place, to which hs had sold already
several articles, and asked them il
they would buy some quilts from
him, and he received an affirmative
He bad not then in his pos.
session the quilts, but told the police
he was making up his mind where to
go to- Under these circumstances,
the boy could not help but think be
was being encouraged. Had be re-
ceived a negative instead OF the an
swer he did, he would doubtless have
thought twice before be made up his
mind where to do the stealing. The
frequency with which stolen articles
are found in secondhand places
shows conclusively, that, while there is
probably no ''fence" in operation, no
care is taken on the part OF some of
the pIoprietors to learn whether the
goods they buy are homes. or not. In
this manner they encourage thieving,
while if they were to make inquiries
or exercise care. there would not be
near SO much petty thieving going on
as at present.
In the case of boys this care could
easily be exercised and made effec-
tive, and in doing 60 the officers
would be assisted in their lAbors, spd
the number OF young thieves dimin-
ished. Instead OF showing such q
however, many of them
seem positively anxious to get the
goods from any person, man or bog.
and they thua help many youths, like
this Nash, to become confirmed
thieves with prospect OF their grow
ing into desperate men. Second
hand business ia not incompatible
with honesty, but if it continues to be
conducted with the carelessness at
present evident, it will develop, in
short time, into genuine "fence,"
and increase the number OF prigs
rapidly and indefinitely.