The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-25
Boys Organize for the
Purpose of Thieving.
First Effort Was RObblng of
a Fiye-Year-Old Lad.
Then They Broke Into the Old White
Mill on Cranst0n Street.


according to what Captain Mars,on OF the
knight street station says, they ore the
tougheJt to be found in the city.
They were charged with breaking and
entering in the daytime building owned
by the State, and stealing lot OF keys
valued at 25 cents from Amos ID. Smith.
Five OF the lads pleaded guilty and were
held for the action of the grand jury.
Some OF the gang were charged with
stesling 25 cents from Walter Pierce
O this they pleaded guilty and were each
fined 81 and costs.
After the hearing the boys told this
story:
A few days ago they started to go to
one OF the tneaters ana stood on the
corner of Westminster and Snow Dtreet
and made up rhe gang. big fellow, IL
years old, was chief. Charley kush, other
wise known as slack Sheppard" captain;
Jimmy Murphy, known as "Balm OF
Gilead,n first lieutenant: Joseph Maylo.
a French boy, and known as "Lsrd
Eater" second lieutenant, and the pri-
Yates were William Holden, 'nitknamed
"Monk," Andrew Bowry, "willie Dex-
ter" and Charles Pierce, "Splint Dur1ee."
Murphy had dog which he said YVES the
property of bis grandmother. and the dog
was part ana parcel of the gang end
answered to the name of "Gyp."
Tho organization was effected Saturday
| evening, Jan. IL.
After dinner the following Sunday the
gang net on Superior street, and their
! first act was to rob little Walter Pierce
| who was only tive years old. Waiter had
| five fve-cent pieces In his hand and Lieu
tenant Murphy asked him how much
| money he had. Walter stuck out mis- lit
tie hand containing the pickels. Murphy
hit the boys hand and sent the coins
flying in the air. Murphy succeeded In
| pickipg up three of the coins and !Naylor
and Rush got one each. It was for this
thst the lads named were fined Il and
costs each. Captain Rush, did not hap
pen to be mixed in breaking and enter
| tnr the building, so he got out OF the
scraue as his father was in court, and
paid his fine.
Murphy then told how the old mill al
the corner of Crsnston and Dexter streets
WAS entered. Chief Anderson led the
way, and the boys got on an old team and
from that climbed to the roof. They
went through a scuttle into the mill ano
broke into the Office. All went into th'
building but "splint Durffee." All the,
got was lot OF keys. Yesterday after
noon the police got onto the gang, and ar
rested every mem ber, Murohy said "LarS
Eaterr was to blame for it, as be CAV
the whole thing away at the Harrison
street school Friday. "Lard Eater
spoxe up aud said "DoD't you believ
him, the gang is down on me because I'm
French"
When asked how they managed to &c
something TO eat, Murphy replied tina
they tapped bakers wagons, and he rat
} tied of the names of a dozen or NOR
wagons they bad stolen from. He finishe
mn by saving that he wanted somethin
to eat at once.
, When esked about "Cbief" Anderson
I Murphy said that he had "skipped" tn
Z town. ana left the rest to fight IT ou
\ when all OF the boys chimed in and sal
4 Anderson was the leader, and planne
. the job.
Pierce, or "splint Durffee," had b'
J, little TO say. He admitted that he was OF
4 Of the gang, but not TO the extent that
Y would do snytbing wrong. The rest
& the gang were "square" enough to testi
TO tnis fact.
All of the boys are we'll dressed sr
bright looking.
e Pierce pleaded not guilty ct the hearii
IT end will have a trial Friday.
r The boys were committed to the Soc
:. anossot school for boys.
, On tho same sunday 10 was the inte
n tion OF the gang TO break into The ste
~ of Charles Landers, 3 Bellevue svent
ri That evening they were In the resr OF I
I'd store. but were discovered by Patrolm
r Burns of the Oakland street station. L
officer found that q window I'm the issr
the building had been broken, but
break wss so sraall that the.polioeman
not for q moment suspect 1t had be
oi made by the boys. When Mr.. Car
opened the store in tho morning, howey
he he found piece of lead about foot 10
in near the window. This piece of lead
the property OF Anderson, who used 1t
a black Jack.
Monday, Anderson and Murphy got II
is a freight car and went to New Lond'
as For two nights they slept at a pol
I'D station, and there hid behind an
,c. renee the keys that they had stolen IN
the old white mil. The pair arrived no
friday IN a freight car. Saturday ev'
ing officer BDrns learned that they Il
got back, so yesterday he went TO
"a nome Of Murphy and took bin TO
ms station. Burns then learned the locati
cy az the entire gane aud with officer Oa
fcs well of the KNIGHT street station. fou
them ell vitb the exception OF Anders'