The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-10
CUTE LITTLE CONVICT.
Charley Kroekel, a Deaf
Mute Boy, Is the Wonder
Of Trenton Prison.
HE'S GENIUS AZ LOCK PICKING.
The Penitentiary is The Only Place
That is Strong Enough to
Hold Him.


TRENTON, n. J.. May Q, 1891 The New
Jersey State Prison at Trenton Is shelter
ing the most interesting baby convict in
the United States. A little mite Of q chaps
with a bright. sunshing face. Is locked up
In one OF the cells just OF from the prison
centre. He is dressed IN conventional red
and black stripes, and has To do the lock
step with old and hardened sinners. This
baby convict is little Charles KroeEeI,
who Is, according to his osFn coInputa-
ton, only fourteen years old. but SONS
who know him claim be is only eleven.
HIS size aud general child like appear
anee suggest thar the LITTER may BE-
fact, for he is very small. bur very clever
for his age
Charley is d deaf mute. whose criu.zna1
career began when ne was nine years old
he showed such precocity that be could
pick any lock he could ger hold Of 5jl5
mania ran to locks, and latterlY TO thoae
which locked up something worth sss1zr'
Ing.
Keeper James Patterson Of the state
Prison finds that this little chap il sou1e-
what OF an eleuaant on his Eanlis. He
has been ia the State Prison not quits
two weeks, and u has not Yet been de-
cided what to do with MIN. Hs Is sen
fenced for year al hard labor. but 5ass
what kind Of Labor 70 put him at IS uoW
bo6hering the official It was 0t Hfst
thought that he would make R1od
messenger hut be ID as slippery IS q
weasel Ee cen fatteu his litIle body our'
and slip between window bars. 1be
prison anthorities are afraid taat S0me
day he viii make his escape By the WY
Of drain pipe Fer the present the depu-
ties VIII keep thasf weather eyes an him.
Tie big book Ia Clerk Madden's closet
shows the following entry Charles
April q, 1891; age. IL; Atlant4c ooAafF;
one Indictment; sentenced April a; term,
one year; born IN New Jersey: sentence
expires April 81, 1852; Communication. sixty
days; release, February q, 1s92s height,
four feet. six and thfee-q uaEaee incisess
grey eyes; light complexion: can read
and write: uses tabacces no trader never
worked; parents living; religion, Catholic.
When Charley first arrived he could
not be given the regulation prison stripes,
because there was 40 suit snail enough,
as the prison never held 50 dainty d crxn5~
iual He was marched 70 his cell with
the other prisoners. and ne WAS told TO do
the lock step. He took to 10 well, and as
he paraded through the prison centre, no
theuGht It royal fun. and turned TO the
group OF interested prison Deputies and
gave q jolly flourish Of his hand and
winkea- A few days later his red and
black stripes arrived and be Hzs made 70
pat them on. He has bean wearing
kufek srboeKers but knas HFeeches <sre
not known hi prison t0E Rerys aud wnsa
he stood out arrayed in long trousers, he
looked cad and tears came izzso his grey
eyes. Reaching down be attempted 70
tear off the legs just 1t She knee. bat h9
was prevented.
He asked for slate and pencil as SOON
ou tra rruE lfsrtrf4a fHf& hr
municRtes to the keepers and TO the Curl
ous people who come 70 see him He Is
In the best of humor at all fInes. He al
ways shakes hands with strangers. writes
a number of questions on this slate aud
anuses them by hasty drawings. The
boy is clever artist. This skin hs
picked up At the deaf mute school, He
has begged several chrome cards and has
outlined them on the walls of his CELL aad
ROW he is begging tor paint, as he pro-
poses TO decorate the walls in rlcl colors-
He has two ehcrub heads drawn ont
ready for filing in and is busy studying
out all the details He demands u1uEh
social attention from the deputies, and Il
they pass BIZ his cell door without speak
ing or shaking hands he at once writes
them note asking whether they are
zn0ered at him
Chariey's parents are honest people In
Egg Harbor City, and here Charles began
the stores. The residents OF the town felt
so insecure. aud were 50 kept awake at
nights watching for him that he was
arrested This resulted 10 his being sent
TO the Deaf ana Dumb Institute st Tren-
ton, and there he was accredited with
being 3 bright cherub, bur very sly. He
was never in tae Institute when wanted.
ss he had no trouble letting himself ont.
He was then sent TO the Reform School
at .5amesburg, but he made three success-
ful escapes. The last departure he ac-
complished by sliding down a lightning
rod from the third story Of one Of tho
homes. He cannot keep his hands Of
locks. and can pick anything that has
been made.
Itisa gift and not the result Of educa-
ton. He had TO be sent TO the State
Prison, because no other Institution
could keep him. Before the prison night
school closes, Charles is going 60 be al
lowed to give the old conviers, now
learning to read and write. lessons In
penmanship, for he writes al excellent
baud. He may also teach free hand
drawing.
THE CHARGES AGAINST M'KALLf.