Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-09-01

evenings were spent with a crowd of
boys, sometimes not as the police al
lowed Summer evenings generally
found them about the wharves, not in
frequently enjoying the fruits of care
fully planned raids in the little dens
which they appropriated and arranged
beneath the piers among the pilfng.
These dens were made simply, rough
shacks being covered with few
boa rds which We're fastened to the sup
ports Of the wharves.
''Dinny's" favorite hang-out was tn.
quarters of the Young Cosmopolitan
Associates; or, rs II was indicated in
rude letters on a board in the den,
"Yung KOsmepoHtens Associates" -"
This was n most select organization,
composed of boys ranging in age from
to Is years To become a member
each one must have shown himself n
hero, as they termed It, This was not
by rescuing a person from death, or
doing any other brave act, but by de
flying the police or doing some deed Of
a peculiarly daredevil character
Stealing enough cigars, cigarettes.
candy or fruit to supply all the mem
IA, entitled a boy TO enrolment on
,he list Of membership.
The quarters Of the "assoshates'
were situated about six feet below tn,
water front. One side Of the den was
formed by heavy retaining wall,
which prevented the waters Of the bar
hor from undermining the street, while
he others were made from drift wood
and planks stolen from ccnvenient
lumber yards. The roof was the floor
Of a small shed occupied by an italian
fruit dealer, located at the street end
of the wharf, which was one Of the
.argest I'm the city, where clipper ships
10 and from the East Indies and Aus
tralia We're wont to load and discharge
cargOes The den was fitted with a
few kegs and boxes for seats, and was
stored with relics Of past raids.
To the difficulty IN entering the deh
was due principally its immunity from
discovery. The boys, after getting on
the wharf property through q hole In
| the high fence, where they had remov-
ed board. has to go to one side Of the
pier and climb down the retaining wall
Of the street, swinging underneath the
wooden flooring as they descended. TO
go straight down would result in i'm
mersion in the dock where the water
was deep enough to allow the big ships
| to he tOwed almost to the street wall,
but the channel did not extend beneath
the wharf, and about ten feet from
the water the oOZy mud was encOun-
tered. Climbing down these stones.
and clinging like flies to n wall, was
not without an element of danger, buf
the lads became accustomed to it, and
the fact that ii required practice to ac-
complish the feat successfully gave an
added sense of security to the retreat.
Once in the mud, the boys had to walk
Il distance of about $50 feet before
reaching the shack.
1t happened on the 18th day after the
kidnapping Of Millionaire Ainsley's lit
tie girl, that a grand raid, which had
been planned several days before, was
to occur. The object was the lOOting
of q small confectionery and tobacco
store situated on one Of the main streets
Of the district Of the poor at the cor
ner Of a small alley, lined with tene-
ment houses. The building in which
the store was located was an old one,
and there was a window locking into
the alley about ten feet back from the
street. The frame Of this window was
very weak. and one Of the boys hap
pened to discover that but little force
was required y pub 4 IN H1 eRm..