The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-03
TYPICAL DEGENERATE.
Twelve Years Old Leader Of a
Gang Of Youthful Thieves
Who Have All Done Time.

The Relay gang, an organization COM
posed of boys of ages ranging from nine
to twelve years, all of whom have done
time, youthful as they are, is in the po-
lice tolls again this morning. The entire
gang, five in number, were arrested last
night for shop lifting. The youthful
thieves operate in the busiest section or
Jersey City. Last night while the de-
partment store of Furst Bros. was crowd
ed they slipped in and managed between
them to appropriate six pairs of kid gloves
and quantity of dry goods. Patrolman
Sturgis, who knew their record in the
past, saw them leaving the store, and ar
resting them on suspicion, found the
stolen goods upon them.
The lads took their arrest coolly and
made no fuss when locked in a cell of the
Gregory street station house for the night.
They were arraigned before Justice Potts
in the First Criminal Court this morning
and were held for the Grand jury on the
charge of shop lifting. The boys are:-
Louis Anger 10 years old, and Joseph An
ger, II years old, of No. $40 Third street;
Samuel Labow, IL years old, of No. 310
Third street; Frank Larkins, IA years old
of No. 1886 Second street, and John Mona
han. years old, No. 400 Grove street. All
of the boys have spent a period in the
County Jail, having been threatened with
Incarceration in the Reform School, and
have been released under parole Each
one of them has a previous charge hang
ing over him, and can be sent to Jail with
out any conviction in the present instance.
Joseph Anger is the leader of the gang.
Though young in years he is old in crime,
having been a thief on his own confess
sion for over two years. In the last nine
months he has been accused by half
dozen parents with being the cause OF
the downfall of their sons. The last time
he was arrested he was taken before
Chief Murphy, who determined to give
him one more chance, partly because OF
his sympathy for the lad and partly be-
cause ne believes him to be the tool of
some Pagan whom he desired to run to
ground. 1t is said that his surmise is cor
rect and that the arrest of the man who
is egging the boys on to commit crime will
follow today.
Anger. the leader of the Relay Gang, is
ply and all who come in contact with him.
He is typical degenerate. In all his es-
capades and experiences with the police he
has never been known to show the Slight
est emotion. Instead of denying his guilt
when accused he has openly boasted of
his deeds and described his methods to
the police He explained to a,h them his his
the close. of the day, told where he hid
the stolen goods, under the stoop of
deserted building and boaSted of the ease
with which he disposed of them at local
pawnbroker shops. The one point on which
he remains silent and which the police
have never been able to drag from him is
the name of the man who backs him in
his thieving ventures. He will probably be
sent this timeto the Reform School al
Jamesburg.
The boys confessed to Chief Murphy
that they had robbed the saloon Of Henry
Rochile, No. 179 Steuben street, of guam
tity of clothing and had stolen money
fom the saloon of Conrad Suber, No.
So Coles street. In both instances they
effected an entrance by removing a pane
to rob the saloon of Morris Sullivan at
Cole and Fourth streets.