The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-31

there Is any tnng IN the cNiucH~' ia e''~
Police Court yesterday
IL was also SHOWN in the same way tnd'
tine average boy belonging to the Eighth
street crowd possesses more mlschlcA
40 the sqare inch than the general run
Of boys. ana an together the crowd Oh
youngsters known in police circles as the
eighth street gang did not suner any
i'm reputation for picturesque and oflsih'l
deyilment and Tor being eyerlasungly az
it. ,,...,,e
HOUSE BURNERS.
Thirteen OF the alleged gang were
,,rder arrest Yesterday who. according
IN the warrant. did un.awfully be- disor-
DERBY and set fire 10 and burn a vacant
house ON Twelfth street, the property OF
Ira Stokes. -
Sweeney. Virginia Mayo. VIM. Mayo
Veno Booker and VIM. Gordon, an COL
ored. and Sergeant Shinberger.
The boys were in court each IN ms
best Bib and tucker. They We're lined mp
like "A squad at guard mount and answer
cd TO the call Of their names as follows:
Lee Haskins Daniel Jones. James Glenn.
Lee Kidd. LandOn Tucker Lawrence
Smith. Clarence Glenn. Guy Glenn. WINE
Jones Geo. Myers. Joe Willis, Temple
Carpenter. and Willie ST. John
They ranged I'm age from eight mp n
fifteen years OF age. the most of them
being nearest the latter age.
OPENING OF THE CASE.
There was good deal of gigg.ing and
laughing among the juvenile prisoners
and among the large crowd Of boys at-
tracted bv the trU, but they grew grave
when Jt stice John solemn.v announced
that the charge was y felony and he
would not proceed with the trial until
Commonwealth Attorney was present.
Mr.. Richardson arrived soon and eX-
aminod the witnesses for the Common
wealth as they We're called.
il was shown that tine house was an
old one much pulled to pieces the in-
ference being made that its condition
was due 10 former depredauons of boys.
Sergeant Shinberger testified that 10 had
been several times set afre and that on
Saturday he put ont n hre himself start
Cd by boys I'm this house. The house was
located on Twelfth street Don the bottom
below the Colored Normal school near
tho usual ball ground OF the boys Of the
neighborhood.
A HARBOR FOR BAD BOYS.
he said it bad for some time been A
harbor for had bovs and that he h0c
found a crowd of both black ana white
bows in there PLAYING craps.
William Gordon. cOiorod. going home
from work saw n lot of boys around tho
house and one on ton of the house apply
"a torch 70 tho cornice but was two fal
away 10 Identify any Of them
william MAYO cOlored. who lives neal
the burned building. drove 20 Tor ~ boY
ont of The building which they were try
ing to set on fire from the inside. haFin'
hunt a. fire ont of some old mating an'
Garnet which be- put ont He said ron
of the bows he drove away throw rock
at him. and being asked To point then
ONT he picked out Temple Carpenter ah
while ST. John as two Of them.
some of the bows. 10 said went oi
down the hill and commenced p.ayin
eords and he heard them quarrelling owe
the money. $1,000. ...,. ,..,,,,,r,>-1,
Cautaiu Angle asked 20 make STATE
ment and testified that TINS gang "l D''
wore the terror of the nelghborhood. al
! 0.s,s causing trouble and the source o.
continuous complaints from people ih 'h'
| noichhorhcod. Sergeant Cosby made
similar statement and officer SWeene'
said that they were so bad that som
neonle were forced 90 leave the nelghpoI
! hood on account OF them.
Sergeant chinhaIger said he had ire
| ouantly been walked out of his bed
| NIGHT bv citizens coming TO make com
plaiut of the dOines OF THESE boys.
Much of the examination was informal
| and Mr. William ST. John. whose son wa
! amid the crowd Of boys charged WIN ln
| offence asked and was permitted to al
| ar.s. he court He deplored the pfac
! lice of arrestiug a whole crowd OF hoy
! ana bringing them into court with vie'
/ nj c4t,hine out of me whole lot one %
! few offenders
GOOD BOYS.
He said the boys present were ialr rep
re.enfativ.s of Richmond boys. We
raised but mischeyious like other boys
There we're some perhaps more Vciou
than others. he denied the charge ina
| his sons were ever out on the street a
| night and made a strong criticism d
police methods IN dealing with boys j
such cases as the present one
Iandon Tucker, one OF the smaller o
the boys. was discharged on the tesu
monv of the officers that he was no
| present AT the time Of the burning II
! was then placed on the stand as vii
| ness and implicated George Meyers an
! Joe Willis in the burning. Temple Car
penter easily proved an abb and n
dropped out -..,..,.,.
MISERY LOVES COMPANY.
Eight of the boys were arrested on III
| formation OF Geo. Meyers, the first DO
| taken In custody The evidence did no
connect them with the crime ana I'd
number held quickly narrowed down
| f,ur-Geo Movers. joe Willis. Tempt
| CARPENTER and Willie ST. John. As aboF
stated Temple Carpenter proved an alb
being regularly employed in q do"n-to"
office.
YIN. Mayo identified Willie St John a
| one of four boys who threw rocks Al nm
| earlier ln the day when he drove "a gan
. out OF the house and put out the fire.
His wife. however, and Neno Booker
| testified positively that Willie was no
one Of the four and this threw all on
| OF the case except Geo. Meyers and 10
Willis.
GEO. MYERS CONVICTED.
The evidence was conclusive agains
| Geo. Meyers. who set fire 10 the hous'
| and Joe wills was shown 10 have bee
with him II not active in the crime.
Meyers was fined $40 last November
| having escaped a term In the reforma
tory through the promises OF his mothe
and friends for his future good be
| haViOr.
on the advice OF the Commonwealth
Attorney the case was continued unit
| Saturday on the promise Of the boy
mother that he should be- started 10 hi
uncle i'm "a distant state before that dat
| for a stay OF al least twelve months b'
| fore returning TO Richmond.
Joe willis was fined s. and costs.
The parents Of the boys were In cour
and Justice John had 10 run the gaunt
| Let q their criticisms and pleadings al
| ter the court adjourned When IL wa
all over he looked like a man whose 10
is not a happy one.
A SOLDIERS WEAKNESS.
c. b. shuerheld. the member OF II
First Kentucky Regiment up a few dag