The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-10-14
Four of Them Arrested While
Attempting to Enter a
Grocery Store.
The Same Young Thieves Visit a
Shoe Store, and Help Them
selves.

In his store writing, had his attention at
tracted by a rather peculiar noise, which
ne al first supposed was MADE by the wind
and hence paid no attention 10 1t until al
Ger be had finished his writing, when the
noise, this time louder, again attracted his
attention and following in the direction
from whence the sound proceeded, he dis
covered a colored boy, with his body al
most through the transom OF the back
door and another one about TO enter. The
youthful burglars seeing that they were
discovered, CT aw led back as fast as possible
and dropp ID to the ground. Mr.. Alder was
about to start in pursuit when he remem-
bered that the front door was unlocked, aud
he hastened to lock il, after which he IT
surned and noticed four colored boys runn-
ing down the alley. He followed as rapidly
os possible, and upon arriving al the mar
kef house, met Officer Fiier TO whom he re-
lated the circumst tnc. At the same time
the quartette of young thieves was noticed
on Kentucky street, by Mr.. Alder, who
pointed them out to the officer. The young
rascals saw the policeman as soon as he
saw them, and made a rapid retreat in the
direction of the railroad, closely pursued
by the blue coat. After reaching the rail-
road Officer Eifer was reinforced by Officer
McGhee, who obtaining horse from a boy
standing Near by soon overtookthe fugitives,
capturing them near the Lexington switch.
Shortly after the young burglars had
been locked ep, an overgrown and rather
hard looking white boy, apparently about
eighteen years of age, called at the Gala
bose and desired TO see them. He was adj
united and was at once recognized by the
nh ho cd
TO be quite intimate, so much SO in TACT
bad idea to lock him up, and the young
man was accordingly given quarters with
his colored friends.
II was noticed that three OF the colored
boys wore new shoes and they were intero-
gated closely, as to how they me by
them, their answer being sufficient TO con-
vince the officers that they were correct in
their suspicious, that the shoes were
stolen property. Two OF the b,ys
were taken out, and after brief questioning,
admitted that they had stolen the shoes
from Gslbreath's store Saturday night.
They said that four of them had entered
the store while there were several custo-
mers sttractinR the attention of the clerks.
They secured three pair of shoes and pair
of slippers and made their exit by the back
door. They also inform d the officers that
the white boy, whom they had known in
Kansas City, had proposed TO them to bur-
gIarize store, and they designated the
Fire store" as the proposed bsss of opera
tions.
The Eve youthful criminals, the oldest
being the white boy who gave his age as
seventeen, were arranged before Justice
Hslstesd yesterday morning. The four
cciored boys were questioned regarding
their ages; three of them according to their
stafsments were aged respectfully twelve
years, while one little coon, who looked
like pice of dried up sausage said he was
only eight years old. The white boy gave
his name IS Thomas Duncan. His four
colored companions. answered to the names
of John Simpson, William Clark, Frank
Mortonaand John Miller. They all gave
Kansas City as their place of residence.
and their occupation news boys and boot
blacks They So d that they followed the
circus from Kansas City, and had staid
arc und the show grounds most of the time.
One of them told the prosecuting
attorney that they saw Mr.,
Alder have considerable money
at the show grounds. (he having collected
his bill for provisions furnished The cir
cus) and their object in breaking in, to the
storeswas TO secure this money. Two of the
boys he said, had threatened to do some
body up before they left the town. The
statements of the young csiminals were
very conflicting, each one endeavoriDg to
place the burden of guilt on his compan-
ions. One of them acknowledged that he
bad removed the rod from the transom
taking out the screws with piece of old
tin. Several piece, of tin, Ratchet and
screw DIR V-r, were left by the boys in their
Ia ty flight. These articles were intro
duced in court, but the young rascals
ola med TO know nothing about the b atchet
and screw driver.
Afer the case against them for attempted
burglary hid been disposed of In Justice
Halstead's court, the prisoners were taken
before Justice Rife to answer to the
charge of stealing the shoes. The informa-
tion was read TO them, and all pleaded
gull except Duncan. the white boy, who
denied that he had stoltn anything
One of the coloiei boys, however, stated
that Duncan had stolen, or rather taken
axsy from him, the pair Of slippers, which
be had taken from Galbrt his, and sold
them to a colored woman for twenty cents.
A new information was then mede ont
against Duncan. charging him with steal
ing the slippers from Frank Morton, one
of the colored b ,ys. On this charge, not
withstanding his earnest plea of not guilty,
he was found guilty, and there being every
reason to believe that he was the leading
spirit of the gang, he was given two months
In the county Jail, while the four colored
boys were given one month each, which
will expire just at the time they are wanted
in the criminal court TO answer TO the
charge of burglary.
Ali of the colored boys claimed to have
parents in Kansas City except one, who
CLAIMS Omaha for his home.
j. Warren Moore of New Palestine,