The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-11
HELD Up By ROBBERS
Two Small Boys Bid Two
Other Boys Stand and
Deliver.
CIGARETTES OR YOUR LIFE :
Thrilling Adventure Of Boys Armed
to Shoot Indians in Jer-
sey City.
CIGARETTES OR YOUR LIFE :


Two brothers. Samuel and Abraham
hltchie, eighteen and sixteen years old,
respectively. left their homes in Kings
land. N. J., yesterday morning. Their
ambition was TO become h~ighwaymen.
They first went to Delawanna and from
thence to Passaic. where Abraham pur-
chased a revolver. Samuel already had
one. The new revolver cost them $3.50.
Both are 3S-calibre and dangerous weap-
ons in the hands of reckless youths.
The boys left Passaic early yesterday
afternoon on a Rutherford trolley car
bound for Hoboken. They had plenty of
ammunition. They rode TO the Hobeken
ferry and started from there about four
O'Clock to begin their new career.
Abraham had his pistol in a pocket in
his tennis shirt. The pocket was torn
and the handle of the pistol protruded.
Some newsboys near the ferry saw the
pistol and scampered out of reach in
a hurry. Samuel enjoyed the fun and
started after them iourishing the pistol.
Finally he desisted, and the pair con-
tinued on their way.
They went along Hoboken avenue as
far as Tonnele avenue. Then they turned
north and arrived near the black bridge
at about six O'Clock.
This is too slow for us" said Sam to
Abe; slet us hold somebody up!'
Abe agreed and the two were on the
alert for victims. They had just crossed
the black bridge, near the old cemetery,
when they ran across two boys, John
Heating, of No. CTS Summit avenue, and
Pierce Driscoll, of No. 1a2 st. Pauls av-
enue. Sam pointed the pistol at Keat-
ing and cried
Hold up yer hands! Give us five
cents and cigarettes, or yer a dead man"
The boy put up his hands. and trem-
blingly replied that he had no money or
then discharged the pistol in the air twice;
This thoroughly frighteneds the boys ana
they ran away: The h~ighwaymen fred
several shots after the fleeing ones. At
tention was then turned to the railroad
below, and several shots were fired at
passing trains The night platoon of the
duty at six o'clock. Chaneaman Warren,
who was in the night platoon, heard the
stumble over the boys, who were re-
loading their smoking revolvers. He
placed them Under arrest.
0 Closky. of No. $50 Summit avenue,
was driving along Tonnele avenue on his
way TO work. Hearing the shots he
stopped his horse within twenty feet of
zto pass them for fear of being held up.
sHe saw everything He told the officer
What si had fo occn arS liz and nl,i the patrol wagon
ito the Oakland avenue station. When
searched a few cents. a number of
s fa tbeIT Do and two W RIstsfls tS we're 5jgb 5Sana
men were being searched Jehn Keating
and Pierce Driscoll, the two lads who
and complained to Captain Newton that
they had been attacked by two fierce rob-
bers with pistols.
and cigarettes" said Driscoll, sand when
I said | hadn't, either he tpointing to the
elder Ritchie boy) fred q pistol at my
Heating told the same story. They
also sstd thai the Richie boys had fred
The Ritehie boys confessed to Captain
Newton last night that they had run
away from home. They said they were
going West to shoot Indians and fired
their pistols off to improve their marks
manship. They said they had spent the
six dollars from the skins With this
money they went to Passaic and bought
a pistol and ammunition. They denied
holding up Driscoll or Heating, and said
they merely asked for cigarettes.
This morning the prisoners were ar
them, and John Closky as a witness.
kSating did not show up. They were
viz: for carrying concealed weapons and
for assault They will be examined to-
morrow morning. Immediately after
Headquarters and Chief Murphy asked
them a number of questions and made
the 6oys nappy by telling them that he
A reporter of s'The News" talked with
pola n BOYS eoag,,,; San, the H Oldest est lad adi
d Denied = that It he w0ff had IL held fns anybody .dasi; up,
and said that ne only asked the boys for
cigarettes. They sold some cartridges for
ten cents to another boy and with the
money they went into a saloon on Tom
of whiskey. This made them feel good,
and they took out their pistols and fired
them off. This attracted the police and
scared an old fellow in a carriage. They
dld not intend to shoot anybody. When
asked II he would ave shot the police
man if he had a chance. he said he
some other place where it would not
kin anyone" he said. Sam confessed
that he and his brother had served time
for petty .thefts before. The older one
Il was locked up once in the Hack
ensack jan" he said. "for helping a fell
selling a stolen watch. I only got 10
days then. I have also served time in
RH 5EopSer and sram IN o aRepn8 Pla es5fs : 6ft and
We have been to Boston. Philadelphia,
and In all the cities within a radius Of
this morning. He wouldn't let me say
anything. If they would give me a
chance [ would not get more than thirty
The father Of the boys is M. N. Richie.
a lawyer, practising in Kingsiand. The
Q sent a letter to MIN today, telling
come and help them out. The father
formerly worked on the Erie Railroad.
mxrhf1n he rv0rkn6 on fho rQilrnud Rrth