The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-05
A SCORE OF B~URGLARlES
YOUTHFUL GANG THAT COMMITTED
THEM NOW UNDER ARREST.
Some Of the Boys Are known Thieves
-AckuONIedge Having Robbed Many
FALCONS and stores Recently.

Sergeant Christian Kruger, assisted by
Patrolmen Boylan and Gerber, yesterday
morning arrested the members of the gang
of youthful burglars which has been oper-
ating in the city successfully for several
months. BY their own confessions and the
accusations against each other, the six
boys arrested have been implicated in a
score of burglaries. Most of the boys have
been before the Police Court and have SEN
fences hanging over them now. One at
least has served time in the workhouse
for larceny.
Early Sunday night Sergeant Kruger met
five boys near the Park Theater. He recog-
nized them as known thieves and searched
them all, but found nothing which would
Justify their arrest. A short time after
ward it was reported that the show case
in front of the Progress Clothing store had
been broken open and robbed, and at il
o'clock Sergeant Kruger learned that Fred
Kolb's saloon, at Il Kentucky avenue, had
been ~burglarized. From Merchant Police
man Stout the officer got a description Of
two or three boys who were seen about
the saloon just before it was robbed. He
at once concluded that the burglary had
been committed ~ the boys he had
searched early in the evening, and set
about to find them. The result of the eff
fort was the arrest of six of the gang
Of seven. They are Harry O'Brien, aged
seventeen; Otto Hayes, aged seventeen, of
A Geisendorff street; John Fowler, aged
sixteen, of II Douglass street; Manuel
Craig, aged seventeen, 1917 West Maryland
street; Oscar Schaub, aged sixteen, 52
East Washington street; John Smith, aged
seventeen, IS Cincinnati street.
O'Brien was arrested at 5 O'Clock yester-
day morning and he gave information
Hayes. Fowler was arrested by Sergeant
Kruger and Patrolmen boylan and Gerber
while at work ac, at Chandler Was & f TayiG9r af
a commission house on South Delaware
street, where he was employed. The three
boys who were arrested talked freely or
their crimes and involved with them TOUR
others. Craig and Schaub were arrested be-
fore noon by the same officers and Smith
was brought in by Detective Richards.
The boys acknowledged having robbed
Kolb's saloon and also to having robbed
the show case in front OF the Progress.
One of the boys went with a policeman
and showed where the whisky and cigars
stolen from the saloon could be found. 1t
was hidden in an old boiler near the corner
of Georgia street and Capitol avenue. The
Progress could not be found. The boys
said they were hidden in a lumber pile,
but were unable to locate the lumber pile
accurately, although an officer was sent
with the boys. The boys say they have
been robbing stores and saloons for some
time. They began in small cigar stores and
later got to entering saloons and when ar
rested were ready for any kind of work.
Saturday night they attempted to enter
the tailoring establishment of A. j. Treat
< Son, the Sindlinger meat market and a
restaurant which they are not able to To-
cate. Among the successful robberies which
the members of the gang admit having
committed are those at the Empire saloon,
Harry Walkers saloon, Matthews Tries sa-
loon, cigar store at Isl Massachusetts ave-
nue.. the show case in front of Klein
smiths hat store tbroken open twice., the
show case in front of me Progress and
the Hay Market saloon. They also mention
many other places which they robbed of
small amounts, but which they are unable
TO locate by name or number. One saloon
on Virginia avenue they claim to have
burglariZed three times. They got about Is
cents each time and then decided to let
il alone as a Jonah"
O'Brien is new to the police. but the
other five are familiar. Hayes was caught
In the act of robbing Railsoack's grocery,
on North Illinois street, and served four
months i'm the workhouse for the crime.
Fowler was found guilty of robbing Navin's
drug store. at the corner of North and
Illinois streets, and was released during
| good behavior. The boys are all rather
tough looking. They have been loafing
about the Park Theater much at night and
have acquired a ''Bowery" air. Four of the
six arrested had been working regularly
Fowler was looked upon as the leader OF
tho panU