The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-08
STOLE SCHOOL BOOKS.
Three School Houses Robbed by Bold
Young Amateur Cracksmen.


Young Amateur Cracksmen.
Ernest CODY and Martin Rosetta win be
turned over to the city court this morning
by Recorder Wilson for larceny of books
from the public schools. The thievery
was Of the boldest description and the
thieves, though young, are likely to be
severely punished.
When the principals of the Massie, Bar
nard street and St. Patrick's schools en-
tered their school houses yesterday
morning they were not long in discover
ing that the buildings had been entered
during the week Of vacation and various
depredatiOns committed. A number of
books were missed. and at the Barnard
street school several umbrellas belonging
to the teachers were gone. The locks of
the teachers desks had been broken and
the contents of the desks scattered about
on the floors. Besides this, some Of the
black boards were covered with writing Of
a disgusting and obscene character.
The robberies were reported to the
police at once. The police were very for
tunate in experimenting the culprits, in
fact much more so than is usually the
case. Policeman Neidlinger arrested the
two boys named at II o'clock at Liberty
and Montgomery streets. The police
were notified when the s O'Clock detail
went out to look for the thieves. Police
man Neidlinger had noticed the suspicious
actions of the two boys previously, and
little Investigation convinced him that
they were the culprits. He found them
on Liberty street, and had no difficulty in
making the arrest.
When taken to the barracks the boys
confessed their guilt, and talked of the
matter without hesitation. Both boys
were seen by a MORNING NEWS reporter
and talked freely. CODY said that he
lived with his parents in Dittmersville,
and that his father drives a street wagon.
Rosetta said that he lived with his father,
Martin Rosella, at St. Julian and West
Broad streets. The boys said that they had
been running together for some time.
Last Friday afternoon, according to their
story, they were together on Barnard
street near the school house. The 1anitor,
who was inside the building cleaning up,
had left the door open, and the boys
stepped inside to escape the notice Of a
passing policeman. They went up into
one of the rooms and sat down. They
waited until the janitor had left the
building, or according TO their story,
when they attempted to leave the build
ing the ianitor had gone and locked all
the doors. They then proceeded to prowl
around and appropriate whatever suited
their fancy. They said that they took
four umbrellas, but acknowledge TO taking
only two books.
There are more books missing at the
Barnard street school, however. The
boys sold the books, they said, for 35
cents to the bookstore on Whitaker street
near South Broad street and the umbrel-
las to a negro man.
The next raid was on the Massie school,
which they entered Saturday morning.
They claim to have taken only a few
books here, which they sold. Sunday
they entered the st. Patricks school
building, but took nothing here they
claim.
Principal O'Hara, of St. Patricl5's, said
yesterday that the building had evidently
been entered, but he had discovered moth
ing missing so far 1t was evidently the
intention of the boys to raid all the
schools. Principal O'Brien, of the Cathe-
dral school, said that ne found two white
boys trying TO get into the yard of the
school Saturday afternoon. One boy was
and peeping over the fence. His appear
ance frightened them off. Mr. O'Brien
was satisfied that these were the same
boys who robbed the other schools. The
boys said that they got into the Massie
school by breaking open a window.
CODY also acknowledged that he and
Rosetta had stolen a suit of clothes from
muse dI nun anu ADerCOru SIfeeJS,
which they sold to a colored man at Hunt
ingdon and Price streets for 81 10. The
boys claimed that this was their first ex-
perience at the barracks, but the police
think they have been there before They
are pair of very tough looking young
sters, and the matter Of fact manner in
which they spoke of their misdeeds was
evidence that they did not feel any great
remorse for their acts, The parents of
the boys did not appear to bond them out,
and they spent the night In the barracks