The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-22
The Grimes Committed by a Fourteen
Year-Old Burglar.


Tn Raymond Street Jail a remarkable
prisoner is at present confined lie is
Tommy McKeon, fourteen years old,
who on Thursday last was convicted of
burglary in the second degree. He is
of small stature, with restless gray eyes
and a thin upper lip. Young as he is,
he is well known to the police of Brook
ly- and New York as thief and n
burglar, and has earned the sobriquet,
which he proudly wears, of Jesse
James. Jr"
When reporter visited the Jail this
young Jack Sheppard was lying care
lessly upon his cot in his cell, intently
absorbed in an illustrated paper which
he held up before him. He eyed his
visitor for a moment, then resumed his
paper The keeper appeared with a
youth who had been committed to prison
for a minor offense. Tommy saw him
pass and jumped up, eXclaiming:
''Hello, young feller, how much did
you getP'
Three days" responded the lad
"By iimminy, I'd like to get your
dose" and he eyed a gold watch which
the keeper held in his hand with visit
full expression. Turning to the keeper
he remarked: "Td like to wiring that
super but | wouldn't take it from you"
1t required but little parly to induce
Tommy to give an account of his life of
crime. He seemed to revel in the fact
that at so early an age he had COM
mitted deeds that astOnished even old
cracksmen. His eyes sparkled as he
spoke, and he had full command of
thieves slang and reioiced in the fact
that to him familiar objects had pecu-
liar names. Before beginning his tale
he borrowed a chew of ''terbacker," ," as
he called it, and after fixing it comfort
ably in the northwestern corner of his
mouth, he began:
''NLe name is Tommy McKeon I am
fourteen years old and live wild me
father in the Twenty-first ward in New
York City. l was arrested twice for
sweeping supers (picking pockets). De
fust time / was let of, de second time
my case went before de Grand Jury.
but they didn't indict me, so l never
done time in my life. 1 never was in
the House of Refuge. The detectives
in New York couldn't get on to me, so
allus got of, but they heeled me over
here" He looked pensive for a mo
ment, then quietly said:
Say, do you think they'll send me
to the hill or jug me in the House of
Refugee"
He commented upon the jurors who
convicted him in the liveliest way, call
ing them old farmers and pudding
heads, and he burst into loud laugh
and mimicked the twelve honest men
who brought the vengeance of the law
upon him.
They say I'll get five years" he
continued, but l think they are only
giving me stiff. If they do, IN croak
before L get out"
Tell us all about your last bur-
glary," interposed the keeper, who was
standing by.
80, was arrested for breaking into
the house of a feller. | believe his
name is Crockett. The cops said that
the crooks got in by breaking the glass
door. Some of the stuff was found on
Kitty Rogers, alias Kitty Smith, and
Katie Regnant, alias Kate Kane, and
Kitty Donovan. The cops got on to
me and the rest of the gang, and they
run eleven of us in. Judge Kilbreth let
us off cause there wasn't no evidence,
and we got outside, but the Brooklyn
fly cops (detectives) cOllared us, and
we had to go across the river.
Judge Naeher let Jim Masterson,
Hen Porter, Fred Morrison and Tom
Porter off, but held me and the girls.
''The crows (girls) 'squealed turned
States evidence), and we were taken
before the Court of Sessions. My
brother Bob and me had Jim Ridgwav
to spout (plead) for us, and Jim and
Bob Wilson had Weinberg. Well, 1
got convicted first, and then my brother
and the Wilson's. They asked for a
new trial and we didn't get it, so sup
pose we have to do our time"
Suddenly, as a thought struck him,
he asked: ''Did l tell you about how
l shot at my palP Well, 1 did, and 1
am sorry didn't hit him. The way 1
done it was funny. 1 pulled the pop
out of a bloke's pocket and fired. II
was pretty close. You see we was a
dividing some Doodle, and he was
trying to guzzle me out of my share
We got away with team of horses and
gnv 'em to a feller to sell. He got
some of the money an 1 didn't, so
made up my mind to kill him. Talk
about Captain Killale saying he could
hang his watch up on a lamp-post with
out having it tooken. That's all CUFF.
Them blokes is all crawlers."
1t was time for him to get his supper
from the tin can which stood on the
floor before it got cooled. Bidding a
hasty adieu, he grasped his cup and
began to eat.-N Y World