The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1892-06-11
JUVENILE BURGLARS.
Ihe Robbery Of the PostO ttice the Work of
Youthful Criminal.

The Robbery of the Postottice the Work of
Youthful Criminal.
Saturday last Eugene Turner, a col
ored lad, was arrested on charge of
having robbed the postotflce in this city
May 10Th. The nature of the otfense
was such as to indicate that it was
the work of youthful thieves and sus-
picion was at once directed to the Tur-
ner lad, as he had previously been en-
gagged in thieving adventures and was
last year released from Jail with an in
dictment pending against him, contin-
gent upon future good behavior. The
postoftice robbery, however, had been
carefully planned and skillfully carried
out, and but for subsequent injudicious
acts of Turner no evidence of guilt
would have been adduced against him.
The history of the happenings which
furnished the grounds for strong sus-
picion and induced the confession that
led to his arrest are substantially as fol
lows: Monday evening subsequent to
the robbery Scott Wilcox, the eleven
year-old son of b. S. Wilcox, failed to
return to his home in this city, and his
father naturally became uneasy and be-
gan an investigation. From Mrs. Tur-
ner he learned that his son in company
with Eugene Turner had started for
Springdale. Tuesday morning Mr.. Will
cox went to that place but failed to learn
OF the whereabouts of his boy, until
upon the return trip he was told by the
conductor of the train that at Laurel
two boys were seen answering the de-
scription of Turner and young Wilcox
and that they were in possession of a
return to Livingston Wilcox notified the
, sheriff and city marshal, and both Sher-
if Templeton and Wilcox wrote to Bill
lings instructing the sheriff of Yellow
stone county to arrest the boys and hold
them until an officer could be sent to re-
turn them to Livingston. The boys,
however, were not apprehended at Bill
lings but returned to Livingston them
selves, reaching here Friday. Wilcox at
once secured his boy and demanded an
explanation of his conduct as we'll as the
manner in which he and Turner came in
possession Of the ponies they rode on
their return to this city. The boy made
plain statement of the whole matter
relating that young Turner approached d
him upon his return from the decora-
ton day ceremonies and told him that
he had robbed the postoffice and hid the
street that afterward the two went to
the cache, dug up the plunder, and at
Turner's suggestion started for the Grow
reservation to purchase ponies. They
left this city on the evening of May
3Oth, reaching Billings the following
day, from where they crossed the river
onto the reservation and bought two
ponies, paying S25 for one and $50 fol
the other. They then returned to Bill
ings and rode their ponies to Saltwater
where one of them was traded to Dan
|
which they continued their journey tc
this city. Turner, when arrested and
informed that young Wilcox had con
fessed, made a statement substantially
the same as that related above except
that he accused Wilcox of having per.
formed the robbery and implicated an
other lad in the crime. This portion oi
his confession is not given credence, az
it is not corroborated by either of the
lads accused, nor does it correspond with
evidence since adduced. Upon arrest OF
Turner the United States district attor-
ney at Helena was notified, and it is OK
pected the boy will soon have hearing
before United States Court Commits
sioner HOsford.