The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-12
ON THE ROAD TO BE BURGLARS.
Two Boys Captured in the Palmer
Hardware Company's Cellar.

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Two Boys Captured in the Paine r
Hardware Company's Cellar.
A good deel of excitement was caused in
the neighborhood Of St. Julian and Whita-
ker streets last night about II o'clock
by the announcement that a burglar
had been seen TO slip through
the grating to the cellar of the Palmer
Hardware Company and was concealed in
the building
Officer John Crowley Of the Burglar
Alarm Company gave the alarm. He was
sitting IN the window Of the companys
Office on st. Julian street, just
opposite the Palmer Hard ware
Company, and glaucinR across the street he
saw something drop down through the Gel
lar grating, and presently saw a light as
from the striking OF a match, demon
strating positively that some one had Sc
CURED entrance to the cellar. Officer
Crowley immediately ran DOWN
stairs and across the street, pistol in band
ready for burglar, but the light had disap-
peared aud there was nothing to be seen.
Officer Crowley blew hIs whistle which was
responded TO by Officers Scully, Becker,
Cain and McCool.
Examination showed that one Of the iron
bars Of the cellar railing was missing, max
ing space large enough to admit the body
OF boy, but hardly large enough for that
OF man. A messenger was dis.
patched to the residence OF Mr..
H. A. Palmer, on Jones street,
for the keys to the place. In the mean while
the exciting news spread that burglar had
been discovered In the cellar Of the Palmer
Hardware Company, and quite crowd
gathered anxious to witness the capture. II
was neAriy an hour or seemed
paIp,ar tel - !
opened up the cellar door. Policemen
Scully and McCool aud Detectives Hanley
and Basch descended with lanterns in hand
while the other officers watched at
the entrance to prevent any
possibility of escape. 4 very short
search discovered two boys nestled closely
together in the northwest corner of the
cellar near where they had entered, They
kept very quiet until hauled out by the
policemen. They were about 13 years Of
age, apparently, and about the same size
One was as black and shiny as polished
leather and the other was dirty white
The white boy gave his name as Henry
johnson and the colored boy that Of Tom
Fuller. The white boy said that they had
arrived together ON freight train from
Macon yesterday morning aud that having
nowhere to sleep they had crept into the
cellar through the broken grating. They
looked around and seeing nothing but old
iron, be said, were about to come out again
when some man rushed up with q
pistol in hand and nearly frightened
the life out of them. They then tried to
hide. The boy first said his home was in
Americas. and then said it was Macon, and
that his people had removed there from
Americus. The colored boy heard johnson
tell his story, and succeeded in corroborat-
ing it in every particular. He said they
met in the freight yard Of the Central at
Macon, aud both came to Savannah in the
same box car. OF course, they had not In
tended to steal anything.
The boys were taken to the Gamewsll sig
nal box at the market and a call sent in for
the ''red Maria }" in which they were given
a ride to the barracks. The policemen did
not believe the boys story about coming to
Savannah from Macon yesterday morning,
and asserted that they had seen them both
frequently about town. They did not be-
lieve the boys story that they went into the
cellar simply to sleep.
Il was not improbable that the boys might
have been sent in by older thieves to open a
window to admit them to the building.
This Is by no means an uncommon occur
renee. The boys were both tough-Iookinx
little cases. and neither seemed very much
abashed at their situation. II they only
knew what an opportunity they missed Of
seeing such an outfit of knives, pistols and
other deadly paraphsrnAlia with
which to go west and kill
Indians that would have made "Red-
Handed Dick of Bloody Gulch" and other
dime novel heroes blush for shame, the
disappointment would break their hearts.
The boys viii probably be held a day or
two, but unless something further develops
against them 10 is not likely that
they will be prosecuted on any charge.
They are on the route to the penitsntiary,
however, and it is only o matter of time.
unless thsy are brought up with short
turn.