The San Francisco call., 1896-10-29
STOLE AIMS FROM
THE POOR-BOX
ST. Francis Wards Robbed
by Two Conscience
less Girls.
The Box Taken to One OF Their
Homes and Broken
Open.
CONTAINED ONLY SIXTY CENTS
The Girls Are Ella Woods and Win.
ME Nortcn, the 0ae 10 and the
O:hsr IS Years of Age.

Two young girls, Ella Woods and Win
ME Norton, were arrested Yesterday morn
ing by Policeman Fl. s. Hutchins and
booked at the City Prison on charge OF
burglary. Ella is 16 years of age and Win
ME Is.
Monday afternoon the ''poor box" in
ST. Francis Church on Montgomery ave-
nue. and Vallejo street was torn from It's
fastenings and carried away. The police
were notified of the theft and Policeman
Hutchings was detailed on the case.
From information he received he went
to 527 Vallejo street, where Ella lived. and
placed her under arrest. He then went
after Winnie and found her on Mission
street, near Twenty-eighth, on her way to
visit her aunt, who lives at Powell ave.
nue..
The girls after being taken to the City
Prison confessed to Hutchings that they
had entered the church and stolen the
box. They took 1t to Elias house and
Winnie broke off the lid with an ak.
There was only 60 cents in the box.
Monday night they went out to Sunny
side and hid the box in vegetable gar
den. Hutchings, from the location de-
scribed to him by the girls, found the box
w
City Prison and booked as evidence against
the girls. II is an iron box and weighs
probably about thirty pounds.
When taken to the City Prison the girls
gave way to tears, but they soon recovered
their composure and their assurance OF
manner. Winnie was particularly bold
and saucy and treated all inquirers with
scant courtesy. She positively refused TO
say anything.
Ella was more tractable and after some
fencing she said: winnie called upon
me Monday afternoon and we went out
for walk. When we returned my mother
asked me 10 so to the church, as my little
brother was very sick.
s.Winnie went with me, and just before
we went into the church Winnie asked me
to let her wear my cape, as she did not
like 10 go into the church with her soiled
waist. She wore a jacket open at the
front. gave her my cape and she gave
me her jacket.
81 was standing a. the font, which is
near the entrance. talking to lady when
Winnie went down the aisle to the altar.
She came back in few minutes and l
asked her what she had under her cape
She told me it was the poor box and
told her to go and putt back. She walked
O few steps toward the altar, out some
men were there and she came back and
walked out of the church with the box
under her cape.
sT followed her and we went to my room.
Winnie got an ak and broke open the lid
and took out the money. There was only
60 cents in it and Winnie kept it. don't
know what she did with the box.
II did not go into the church intending
to steal anything and did not know that
Winnie intended stealing the box"
Elias statement that she did not know
what became of the box is opposed to
what Winnie told Policeman Hutchings,
as she said Ella went with her to Sunny
side when The box was thrown into the
vegetable garden.
Winnie's parents live at 521A Fifth
street. Her father got her a situation a
few weeks ago, but she did not keep it
long. Since then she has been roaming
around at nights and getting her meals
from her aunt on Powell avenue.