Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-19
THE BABY CONVICT.
ELEVEN YEARS OLD AND A
NATIVE OF RICHMOND.
Deaf Mute, LOck-Picker, Artist,
Sketcher, and General ALI
Around Expert.

ccorrsspondsnce OF the Richmond Disoatcn-l
TRENTON, N. j., February 1S.-The
New Jersey State prison at Trenton will
release on Monday the most interesting
baby convict in the United States. Tho
little mite OF chap has a bright sun
shiny face and is @ native OF Rich-
mond, Va, though born OF German
parents He has been locked up IN
one of the cells Just of from the prison
centre. He is dressed in the conven-
tional red and black stripes, and has had
10 do the lock-step with the Old ana
hardened sinners for many months
This baby convict is Charles koekei'
and ia. according to his own computs-
tion. IA wears old, but others who know
him. including an uncle, claim that he
il lint II years old His size and gene
raj childlike appearance suggest the cor,
rectness of the latter age. his criminal
record would suggest the age OF ma
turity.
nal career began when he was only .
wears old. He had mania for picking
locks. and he could pick any lock he
could get hold of. Latterly his mania
ran toward those which locked up some
thing of value.
GLAD HIS TINE IS Up.
Head-Keeper James Patterson found
Charles to be something OF white ele-
infant on his hands and he is glad the
baby's time is up for departure. The
bow was sentenced to prison for one year
at hard labor. but just what KIND Oh
hard labor" to put him at has always
been the cause of trouble to the keeper.
At first it was thought he could be used
as messenger. but he proved 10 be as
slippery as weasel. He could flatten
his little body out and slip between the
bars in the big front door, and 1t was
therefore necessary to keep him In
the centre. At one time the authorities
caught Charles in the act OF escaping
from the prison by way OF drain-plpe,
and he frequently escaped from his cell
to the corridors through the little hole
in the iron door through which the prl-
soner's food is passed to him.
THE RECORD.
The big book in the prison clerks
room shows this entry: "Charles
Rocket breaking and entering with in
tent received April n, 1892 age II or
II: from Atlantic county; one indict-
ment; sentenced April a, 1892 term
one year born Richmond, Va. sem
tence expires April ", 1893 commuta-
ton sixty-eight days release February
20. 1893 height three feet nine and
three-qudrter inches gray eyes light
complexion can read and write; uses
tobacco no trade never worked :;
parents living religion, Catholic a deaf
mute.
Charley weighed but a little over fifty
pounds when he arrived at the State
prison and he could not be given regu-
lation prison suit of stripes and bars be-
cause there was no suit small enough. The
prison never held 80 dainty a criminal.
lie was marched to the cell with the
other prisoners and told to do the lock-
step, which he already knew. He
thought it royal fun-thiS parading
through the prison centre-and he nearly
broke up the order Of things by turning
to a group OF interested prison deputies
and giving jolly flourish of the hand
and a wink. Charley had always worn
knickerbockers, but kneebreeches are
not known IN prison toggery, and when
his regulation stripes arrived few days
aiterward and he was redressed the boy
looked sad. He was dressed in long
trousers, and this he did not like, for be
reached down and attempted to tear the
trousers off at the knee. There were
many tears when the boy was prevented
from destroying his new trousers.
AN ARTIST.
The boy is clever artist This he
picked up at the New Jersey State School
PINNr q a. L. o;.or,