The San Francisco call., 1896-03-23
THE YOUTHFUL ROBBERS,
Chicken Pacheco, Aged II, Tells
How They Broke Into
the Grocery.
LIKE HARDENED CRIMINALS.
They Stole $40 and Were Arrested
by Sergeant Hodgkins at
the Theater.
LIKE HARDENED CRIMINALS.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
9O8 Broadway, March q.

OAKLAND OFFICE DAN L hANCiStO OhLb3l
908 Broadway, March 22. J
The three little burglars arrested last
night are still in the City Prison, and there
does not appear to be any hope OF their
being released on bail, as their parents are
in poor circumstances and quite unable to
secure an adequate bond.
They were visited by their parents this
morning, but the little fellows expressed
no sorrow over their escapade, and are evil
IDENTIFY not of the kind that are made the
heroes of Sunday- y-school stories.
As the babies, for they appeared as such,
sat on bench to-day and told Detective
Holland again the story of their midnight
raid On the grocery-store, it seemed almost
impossible to believe that they were telling
the truth. Robert Ash is barely fourteen
years old, Chicken Pacheco is just eleven
and Frank de Rocca is but ten, and yet
they possess more nerve than was shown
by Majors and Wilmore, the two pioneers
in the boy burglary business in Oakland.
I'VE should never have thought of it if
we hadn't read in the papers abont those
boys who did twenty Durglaries," said
Chicken Pacheco, who is certainly the
most garrulous of the trio. when we saw
Mitchell's store at 8O3 Castro street, we
tDOuSHt tIdl VIC OuSHt W DC dDiC ~ StO
some money if we could only get to his
till. We just wanted 10 get some good
things, and that's why we broke into the
store. We were all SO frightened that we
only took the money, some cigarettes, to-
bacco and twine. We knew we were doing
wrong all the time. l wanted to go to
Frisco and see the big City, because me
and Bob have never been there. We just
threw stones at the window. and it broke
n "a mi W
The lads only secured about $40 and
then they packed their pockets with cigar
cites and went out for good time. After
purchasing some trousers and hats and
taking a ride on hired safeties they went
to the matinee at the Oakland Theater.
Here two of them were arrested, but De
Rocca ran off and was caught at Fifth and
Clay streets.
Chief Lloyd talked to the lads and does
not quite know what to think about them
THE little fellows are ordinary street boys
and have evidently been allowed to roam
the streets at all hours of the day and
night, but it is impossible that they
can be schooled in crime" said
Chief Lovd. "rhey are study. They
say that they got the idea of breaking into
that store from reading about Majors and
Wilmore. 1t seems strange that they
should not have paid some attention to
the fact that these two boys are now serv-
ing ten years apiece in San Quentin for
their crimes. The whole thing seems to
have been spontaneous on their part.
They only made up their minds to rob the
store in the afternoon, and at night it was
done. l suppose they will be'sent to lone,
but even there does not seem to be the
proper place for such lads"
The lads followed the tactics OF the
former boy burglars very closely. When
Majors and Wilmore blew open Girard' s
safe they went into shed and waited
over an hour to see if all was safe. Then
they went back and completed the job.
The three little fellows now in prison
threw stones through the store win
dow, and after waiting over half All hour
they crept through the holes and robbed
the TILL The lads all admit that they
knew they were doing wrong, but they
show no inclination to cry over their ar