The morning call., 1893-03-10
TAUGHT TO STEAL.
Fifteen Houses Entered in
Two Months.
Lessons in Crime Given Them by a
Fagin Who Had Served Six
Terms in Jail.

Fifteen charges Of burglary have been
made against Thomas Corcoran, aged II.
and Harry Hammill. aged 20. ex-messenger-
boys.
The same number of charges have been
made against Jack Garvey, a one-armed
scoundrel, who is believed by the police to
have given the boys their first lessons In
crime. and to have directed and aided them
In plunderiOg many residences and lodging
houses during the past two months.
lie is the chief of gang of burglars, one
of whom is ''Hatchet Face" Daily, now in
the Sacramento Jail for chicken stealing.
There are other members of the gang known
to the police, whose names are withheld in
the hope that they, too, will soon be behind
the bars.
The thieves met nightly in a little restau-
rant on Bush street, near Dupont, and
planned their operations. Badges were
borrowed from messenger boys and with
THESE Hammill and Corcoran were sent out
TO plumber. 1t was easy to obtain ad-
mission to clearinghouse by saying that
they had been called by some roOmer IL
the roomer happened to be in. the number
OIL another room was given by the boys
until they found vacant apartment in
Which tney seized whatever Of value there
was In sight The police believe that the
boys and their instructor plundered forty
houses and apartments since the beginning
OIL Inc year and have positive proof that the
gang entered and looted fifteen places. Tue
boys have confessed as much, but their
hardened master says nothing
Hammill and COrcoran stole gun from
FRANK Gassaway, the writer, early in Feb
ruary. by telling his lGndlady that ne was
going to hunt and had sent them for the
weapon. Tie gun was recovered.
long list OF succeeding robberies Is
fixed on this gang.
The boys confessed that they tried 10
enter the room of Mrs. Edwards on Cough
street, early IN January, prepared to chloro-
form her aud steal the diamonds they had
seen on her fingers, but were frightened
away. When they visited the house on
former occasion they escaped with lot of
silveTware, but finding it too heavy to carry
concealed IL under row OF Gala lilies,
where It's owner found 1t in the morning,
Their career of crime was cut short by their
arrest alter footing Mrs. Horne's lodging
house on Bush street on March l.
me police were put on their track by
Herman Marks, water in the restaurant
when was their rendezvous.
When Hammill was searched list of
residences and hotels was found in his
POCKET, and the police have ascertained that
nearly all OF the places on the list had been
visited. Among them was the Palace
Hotel, and it is believed that the ex-mes-
sengers are the thieves who stole DIR. Whit
ney's diamond and keepsakes from his
room some time ago
Corcoran has never been in prison before,
and his aged mother says she is glad the
boy is where he can do no more mischief.
Hammill has served term for petty lar
eeny.
Garvey. the chief of the gang. Is about 80
wears old and has something like record.
He was convicted of larceny on March %.
1876. and served thirty days in jail. On May
he was again arrested for larceny and was
sentenced 10 100 DAYS confinement. The
six terms in the House of Correction or
County Jail in this city aud one term of five