Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-08-29
THE BOY THIEVES
GIVEN A PRELIMINARY HEARING IN BEN
WOOD YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
Great Interest Felt BY Cidzsns-0ihsr Arrests
Likely TO Be Mads-EIant Of the
Robbery.

Yesterday morning the REGISTER
made exclusive mention OF the robbery
of the gang OF youthful thieves in Ben
wood. Yesterday the boys were given
a hearing before Squire Henry Riddle.
in the city building in Benwood. The
hearing started at 10 o'clock In the
morning, and 1t was after o'clock In
the afternoon before it was concluded.
All day the city building was filled with
those interested and the spectators.
Six of the youthful criminals were tried,
and they all plead guilty. There
were pitiable scenes in the Mayors
private office in the after
noon at the hearing. The half dozen
little fellows, with jail staring tn EN- in
the face, were kept there by the officers
They ranged In ages from nine to six
teen years, and many OF them cried Bit
terly. Late yesterday evening Squire
Riddle gave his decision In the case,
holding three OF the LADS in the sum OF
5000 for their appearance before the
grand jury &C the next term, and
three under $780, 1t will be
impossible for all the boys to get bail,
and as the result three OF the
little fellows will be taken to Mounds
Vile Jail today or tomorrow, as three
got the SlOO bond each required late
last night.
The robbery OF the car on the Pan
Handle tracks above the Riverside iron
works, was a more extensive one than
was at FIRST supposed. The car was
shipped from this city last Saturday
morning for Sistersville, and contained
valuable merchandise. 1t was COM
pletey ransacked by the boys,
and OF the articles not stolen all were
considerably damaged. All the mer-
chandiSe taken is not known, but that
known to have been stolen Is the fol-
lowing: One lot of shoes, valued at $40;
one lot Of brass, valued at $50; one lot
OF drugs, valued. valued at $40; con-
signment OF tape, valued at SO, and 4
shipment OF pipe, valued at $50. That
makes the value Of the stolen articles,
Sl60. Some OF the tape liaes, about
dozen pairs OF the shoes, and some
GRASS was lOuuu, euu VIC OlhGois oto WI
the search for the remainder OF the
stolen property.
TIE names OF the boys under bond
are Frank OF. Allan Bowman, Jesse
Bayard. Oscar Handlsn, Blaine Lewis
and George Kepple. All live In Ben
wood, and Young Kepple is not quite
nine years OF age. But he was among
the shrewdest OF the thieves, cried the
least, and showed himself an adept st
repartee at the hearing. Agent j. V.
Braden was az the hearing representing
the railway company. The car robbed
was No. 76l4s.
The hearing yesterday does not end
the matter. There are TO be more ar
rests. While the hearing was 10 progress
yesterday afternoon, Marshal Louis
Cooke gave chase to another OF the
thieves down the railroad tracks toward
Nc Mechen, but he was not caught IL
is thought, too, that the noted gang OF
Bellaire boy thieves have something 10
do In the robbery. Some OF them are
to be arrested, and the Marshal Of that
city was in Benwood yesterday In con-
sultation with the Benwood authorities.
1t would not be a surprise II dozen
more arrests were made as,the result OF
the robbery.