Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-03-02
DIME NOVELS.
|PUBLIsHERs SHOULD BE PROSE.
CUTED.
Their PerniciOus Eject ON the YO nth OF
This Country, ne illustrated I'm
the Case of Hepworth.

another SAD tlIuBtracon OF the perni-
cious practice Of reading dime novels,
70 which 30 many persons Of both sexes
are addicted. Although he ID but
seventeen years OF age, he has. within .
few weeks, stolen property valued at
q, 900, and brought shame and disgrace
on his broken. hearted parents. His
history is q sad commentary, not only
on the evil OF allowing children TO read
enactment OF laws that will send to a
felon's cell che men who, for the sake Of
o few paltry dollars, will publish and
scatter broadcast such demoralizinR
literature.
Tue New York Herald given the fol.
lowing account of this misguided
youth, which 1t Is to be hoped will serve
40 warning to others:
The name of this boy robber is Her
bert Hepworth. he rejOioes In the
alias OF "Bannello." In his coz fession
70 Inspector Byrnes he said he was
born in Leeds, England, where he lived
until four years ago, when his parents,
most worthy and respectable people,
emiRrated TO Toronto, Canada.
| Atthat time Herbert was looked upon
as very promising lad. He was bright,
studious and very fond Of stay ing home
nights to read. By chance one day he
got hold OF q cheap novel 10 which a
youth became daring robber at night,
while during the day ha went TO school
and was apparently no worse than his
| lplaymates. Tue imaginary thief was
30 daring, go fortunate In eludiDg ce-
tection, got 80 wealthy and became 30
la UGH respected by those who did not
know the double life he led that Her
bert longed TO initiate his example.
1t WAS not long before Q chance to
take the first step came. Young Hep
worth made the acquaintance OF the
son of o Toronto crook named McWain.
His parents knew nothing OF their
Itriendship, but the boys, finding that
their ideas as to the life they should
lead accorded, soon began to initiate
their beau ideals. First they stole
small articles from In front OF shops
after school. Then, getting holder,
they sneaked about hotels, picking up
many articles OF more or less value In
the rooms of guests.
Suddenly their career OF crime was
Ichecked. Hepworth and his companion
were arrested . year ago for roootng q
Ihouse. The proof was absolute, and
punishment would have followed II
Herbert's astouDded parents had moi
lpleaded strongly for th cir sons release
lie was granted on account OF their re
lspectabiiity and the boy 's.tender years
He was told he could go II he would
leave Canada forever. Forced thus 70
seek q new home, the family went u
Brooklyn to reside. Their son, aftei
Ipromising never to steal again, was pm
10 work In q printing office in FrankliI
street, this city, whore he earned $3.5'
a week. The boy kept straight for q
while, but it was not long before h'
began his old tricks. He worked day
and robbed nights. In November las
his parents found in his possession
several articles of jewlery which theJ
felt convinced be had stolen. Tb'
father gave the misguided lad such
thrashing that he lett home 70 become
q professional burglar and thief.
His first stroke Of business was done
on Central avenue, near Brighton, .
/. On the afternoon Of November z, he
slipped through window into TIT
parlor Of the residence of Mr.. Marley
a stock broker, and slipped out agair
with 81, 600 worth Of jewolry, which h'
found in the sleeping rooms upstairs
A few days later Hepworth euJered In
a similar manner the home OF Erasiu
Williams on Tompkins avenue, Brook
llyn He says he suddenly came upoL
an old lady knitting In one OF TIN
rooms. This, however, did not pre-
vent him from rsnsacking the apart
: ment and putting 81. 100 worth OF jew
Z elry In his pocket, In going out OF tn
house the daring young thief says b
, Ibid not shut the front door as b
thought the noise might attract the at
tention of two men who were building
. a drain by the side OF the house.
On December Q Hepworth turned hi
attention to this city. In passing th
? house OF John j. Burchell, a builder
at No. ll43 Fourth avenue, in the after
jnoon, he noticed that the basement doc
,, was open and he walked In. The win
lclosed the door after him with bang
Y which he was afraid would expose him
1 but the family being OUT driving An
- the servants busy, he took advantage
G a great rattling Of knives In the kitche
to sneak to tho second floor. There b
secured valuablos worth 81 200, VII
which he Was making hts way dow
the front stairs when he heard Be
turn in the lock of the street doc
Hastily concealing himself behind
handy curtain, the young rObber trem
bled as he saw Mr.. BuIchell's son ens'
Juc uOuboB uhuk up hAo ofoAcOoe VA w
hall rack and come up stairs. Hel
worth says Mr.. Burchell brushed again
him in passing his hiding place, b,
went on to his room. Then the uudi
covered thief coolly put on Mr.. 3urcf
= ellis overcoat, opened the front de-
and escaped.
This burglary was reported to Il
spector Byrnes, who after little wol
ascertained that the thief had gone
Washington. Detectives Handy al
lO'Brien went on there, and while 100
ing for the robber heard that o bt
answering his description had be'
N arrested In Georgetown while attemp
% lug to rob the house of Mrs. Green les
The outcry of o servant led TO bis ca
- lture. In the pockets of the pritone
II who said he was Bannello, the o'
! bandit" were q bunch of keys belon
ing to Mr.. Burchell. On this eviden
Inspector Byrnes had Hepworth !
dicHd, but Major McDoy, Chief
Police of Georgetown, refused to 81
render him, and on pleading quit
Bannello, was sentenced to the Hou
X of Correction. During his short 81
in Washington Hepworth had manae
to steal 5000 worth of jewelry from
house of Mrs. II. G Ogden, OF No. /.
TX Nineteenth street, N. w. He
'N restive In the House of Correction, a
after eight days confinement he open
q window one night, made q rope of
We. bsdclothes and lowered himself to
u ground. He walked to BaltimC
where he got on n train, but be-
without money he was put off by
conductor at Wilmington. That MI
he robbed house, where he cannot
Shie m am har and pOt n lot Of Iewalrv 8