Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06
BOY HORSE THIEVES,
How Three Lads Have Been
PuZzling the Police.
THEY ARE CAUGHT AT LAST
The Peculiar Manner in Which They
Eluded Detection.
HORSESAND WAGONS BADLY MIXED
Two Of the Boys Only Eleven and the Third
Nine Years Old.
THEY ARE CAUGHT AT LAST
.ORSES AND WAGONSBA MIXED
RESPECTABLE FAMILIES INVOLVED.

A startling instance of youthful deprav.
ity or maliciousness was revealed by the
police last evening. 1t was simply dis
closure of the fact that three lads have, for
several months, been engaged in stealing
horses in this city, and have, by a peculiar
method, eluded the police for long time.
For three or four months the police have
been greatly puzzled by their inability to
discover lost teams 1t scarcely ever hap
pens that horse and buggy or wagon are
stolen without the sending of report
to the police. The officers usually depend
upon the description of the wagon
more than upon the description OF the
horse, in their efforts to find the missing
team, because wagons differ more in their
makeup and color than do horses. During
the summer cases have come where bay
horse was attached to a buck wagon and a
white horse to a red grocer's cart. The po-
lice, after two or three days, would discover
the bay horse attached to the grocer's cart,
and were greatly puzzled. 1t rarely hap
pens that so much difficulty is experienced
in recovering missing rigs as has been the
case during the past summer, but the clew
was at last discovered.
MANY LOSSES REPORTED.
Among the cases reported to the police
was that of a man named William Singer,
a teamster, who lost a horse and wagon
about three weeks ago. Pat Dean reported
the loss of horse and wagon about fort
night since. The same misfortune hap
pened about that time to Charles Celia, of
Bedford avenue. On Friday an Allegheny
grocer reported to the police that he had
lost bay horse and a red wagon. He gave
a good description of both beast and vehicle,
and during Friday night the wagon was
found standing on Tenth street, near where
the wagons of P. D. Casey and Adler,
.Roedelheim & Co., wholesale liquor deal
ers, usually stand. The horse was not dis
coverable at that time.
Early yesterday morning the theft was
reported of a horse and wagon from
Mrs. W. Joyce, who keeps a grocery store
on Try street, near Old avenue. A young
man started out with horse and buggy to
search for the missing rig. Shortly before
dark last evening he came across the wagon
on Fifth avenue. A strange horse was at
tached to it and three small boys sat on the
seat. The young man pulled up beside the
outfit, when the boys, who evidently knew
him, jumped off the wagon and ran away as
TRACING A WAGON.
The young man conveyed the horse and
wagon TO Mrs. Joyce's store, and reported
careful description of the horse to the police
at Central station. The horse was discov-
cred to be the property of the Allegheny
grocer. The young man said he believed
that one of the boys was Willie Sullivan,
whose parents live at No. 112 High street.
The others be did not know.
Detective John McTighe was sent-out to
search for the boys. He was given good
description of young Sullivan, and in a few
minutes ran across him by accident, on
Grant street. He was accompanied by an
other lad of about the same age, and Detect
i've McTighe took both lads to the Central
station. There the second boy gave his
name as Willie Fitzpatrick, living on Will
son street. The boys confessed that thew
had been stealing horses and wagons for
some time. They said that it was their
habit to unhitch horse from a wagon after
they had driven it a short distance, and
hitch 1t TO another stolen wagon.
BATTLING THE POLICE.
Thus they baffled the police in a manner
which Inspector McAleese says would do
credit to old professional thieves. The bows
said that they used the stolen rigs to haul
garbage, ashes or anything else they could
get, BY which means they made enough
money to buy cigarettes and pies. When
they had used the minated horse and wagon
for day or two they would leave them
standing in the street, to puzzle the police.
Both lads gave their ages as II, and as their
companion In the work they named Charlie
O'Donnell, of No. 10 High street. Charlie
was arrested at his mothers house. He
proved to be only years old.
MOTHERS AND SISTERS THERE.
Soon after the boys were locked up the
Central station was thronged with women.
the mothers and sisters Of the Juvenile pris-
onels. Assistant Superintendent O'Mara
and Inspector MeAleese were appealed to bv
pretty faces and tear-stained countenances.
but in vain. Mrs. O'Donnell was especially
plaintive in her entreaties for the release of
her boy, promising that she would keep him
for the officers to-day if they would only let
him go home for the night. All supplications
were unavailing. but Inspector McAleese
finally consented to telegraph to Mr.. O'Don-
nell, in Wheeling, to come home and looK
after his son. The Sullivan and Fitzpat-
rick families sustain good regulations in the
hill district.
The boys were charged on the blotter with
being suspicious persons. Tomorrow MORN
ing they will be arraigned before Magistrate
Gripp on charges of larceny, and the police
say that they will probably be sent to Nor
ganza.