The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-11
THAT BURGLARY AFFAIR.

A True Statement of the Facts of the
Case.
The breaking into the store of Messrs.
Roscoe & Gibbons, night before last was
not alluded to in these. columns solely
out of consideration for the widowed
mother and sisters of the boy who did
the deed. Right or wrong this was our
only motive in concealing the facts from
the public and it needed no prompting
on the part of any one to induce us ito
adobt it. Our contemporary having al
luded to the matter last night, after hav-
ing given his solemn word that he would
say nothing of it and having entitled
the article as ''burglarly committed"
and left the inference to be drawn that
the young man in question was thief,
we have felt it our duty, in justice to the
family OF the young man as well as to
himself to lay the whole matter before
the public. Sam Gates, son of the late
Colonel Gates was found night before
last, by Night Watchman Howe in aroom
back of Roscoe & Gibon's store at be-
tween two and three o'clock in the morn
ing lying on the floor with his coat under
his head and his shoes, about twenty
feet from him. He had entered the
building by breaking a pane of glass in
the door and putting in his hand and
turning the key that was left in the
store. He was promptly arrested by the
watchman, and later in the morning was
brought before Justice Schultz under
the charge of bur glary. The young
man having pleaded mot guilty" two
witnesses were examined for the
prosecution, which was conducted,
as was the case, by Prosecuting Attorney
Wilson. Neither of the witnesses had
any evidence whatever that gave any
proof of intent to steal. On the contrary
Mr.. Roscoe testified that there was no
sign of anything in the store having been
touched or tampered with, and the night
watchman swore that above an hour be-
fore the arrest he saw the boy in a
drunken condition on one of the streets.
Mr.. A. A. Bonney was called for the de-
ense and swore that sometime about 2
O'Clock in the night he heard noise and
shouting outside as of somebody calling,
sob, Newt; Oh, Newt" or some name
with the sound of the letter in it..
Presently he heard the noise of broken
glass but by the time he got out of bed
and had opened the front door all was
still. There was therefore not the slight
est evidence of intent to steal, beyond
the breaking into and presence in the
building, and Mr.. Wilson recommended
his discharge. Judge Schultz, in giving
his decision said there was nothing to
hinder the boy from being prosecuted
for housebreaking or trespass if parties
were SO inclined. The writer visited
Mr.. Ad. Keller who informed him that if
he (Mr. Keller) had been brought into
court he would have sworn that at 2
O'Clock of the morning in question Sam
Gates was so drunk that he refused to
give him any more liquor and told him
to go home. Mr.. Roscoe, whose store
was entered, said to the writer also: stsI
don't think the man had any intention
of stealing. If so he would have made
| the least possible noise at the door, in
stead of calling so loudly and breaking
OnO SA'ee ~ SioAcieiy ]e W "aAS unr.
Bonney sixty or eighty feet away"
Such is the story, simple and unvar-
nished, as we have it, both from the
records of Judge Schutz's court and the
witnesses. No one can believe for a
moment, in the teeth of the evidence,
that the boy had any intent to steal.
Everything shows that he was simply so
drunk that he did not know what he
was doing. If we thought otherwise we
should say so or say nothing. We hope
the event will be a1esson to the boy that
heswill remember during his future life.