The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-20

Four bows are now behind the bars Of
the city prison on charges which will send
some OF them TO the reform school,. They
are Sam Shears, Clayton Robinson and
Tom Laws, all colored. and Ames Holly,
white. Not one of them is over II years of
age. and all but the last named have
record already
For some time different stores about
town have bsen entered in different ways,
and goods have been taken from them, by
| thieves who could not be detected because
of the way their tracks had been covered.
One man from whom had BEEN taken
batch OF goods had not known anything
was missing from his store till told so by
| the police
Abou. week ago a seal on Missouri
Pacific car was broken. the car entered,
aud POI bottles taken from it. The police
were set to fluid who had done she thiev-
ing. About the same time two young fell
lows were brought in charged with the
offense, which they claimed not to have
done. They were let out on their promise
to show who had done the work. and
yesterday they told Detective Harry SUIT
ton that there WAS a boy who could tell
about it. This boy was Sam Shears who
was standing in the lot just south Of the
city building watching colored man
Ipolding zines for electric batteries.
When Sam Shears was brought into the
station some slick work was done by the
officer which unearthed the other particle
pants and made clear some other stealing
which has be, n done.
Ames Holly was not brought in. He
was the boy who Shesrs induced to help
him with the Missouri Pacific car. He
got into the car after the seal was broken
aud handed cut the bottles Is what is al
legged. This is Ames' first departure from
N hS hI,I a 90
Clayton Robinson is charged with aid
ing in breaking into the Wholesale fruit
house Oh North Market street and taking
bananas and eatables from it.
Tom Laws has been placed 10 safe keep
ing on the ground that he is an accom-
plice and received stolen goods. Shears
says that he sold him pair of pants.
These pants and other goods amounting
in all to over SIS worth were taken from
Jacks clothing store which had been
robbed some time back. When arrested
Sam wore "A pair of small checked pants
which he said were given him. Invesii-
CATION proved them similar to those taken
from Jacks store.
Last week Turner's fruit stand was en-
tered by the rear window aud box Of
oranges and show Case taken from it.
This burglary is also laid to the account
of the gang. The store was entered while
Mr.. Turner went to help \ man unload
car. In going out he did not bar the back
window, but iatched it. In order to enter
the window was sprung back and the
latch lifted with knife.
Besides these . store belonging to Mr..
Brown. on West Douglas, had a broken
key left in it IN an attempt to enter, and
the gun store on South Main street had an
attempt mads on il.
sam Shears parents were seen and they
said That Sam was too bad to manage and
ought to 20 to the school. They had
whipped him and had chained him in the
house but ali in vain. They once at
tempted to send him to the reform school.
He had taken $40 from his brother and had
glorious day out Then again he took
another $40, out this was recovered from
behind the wardrobe where he had placed
it.
Unlike most persons put in the prison
these boys We're good nRtured aud did not
curse the officers and all the laws of the
land. They talked freely on what they
had done. and one boy told how he was
having some of the clothes cut down. 81
haven't wore none of them. Mr.. Sutton"
he said. "bu5 / was going to wear the
pants tomorrow. but guess wont now"
None of them seemed to realize the
seriousness of the crime. but when one OF
them suggested that they might lie sent
to the reform school Tom Laws said: "Oh,
I've been there before" Some of these
boys, however, will realize the seriousness
of their trouble and will not need another
like lesson to make them observe the
rights OF others.