The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-23
DIME NOVELS DID 1T
BOOKS PERUSED BY YOUTHFUL,
CHARLES RAAEN LANDS
HIM In JAIL
INTENDS TO BEAT THE PRISON
The Robbery of Michael Tracy Care
fully PIRnned-The Money Spent
i'm Mighty Fast Week by the
Do IL Convicted and Sent to the
ReformatOry.


Charles Raaen. the youthful thug who
assaulted and robbed Michael Treacy Of
Sl9l, several weeks ago, is still, i'll the de-
lusions of a misguided Mind glorying in
the notoriety he has achieved: At the
county jail where he is awaiting trial he
struts about among the other prisoners
with superior air and refers to his al
legged crime with apparent pride From
his actions and conversation he seems to
cherish the idea that he is a hero. Every
reference to the attack upon Mr.. Treacy
laughing and joking about the affair with
the abandon. of a hardened criminal
AS an interesting study in criminology
Raaen furnishes a specimen the like of
which has seldom been in tho hands of
the local police. Scarcely seventeen years
of age, slight in statue, with pleasing,
almost giriish features, blue eyes, long
hair parted in the middle and a pleasant
smile for whoever may address him, the
youth presents the antitheSis of a crimi-
nal in appearance. But he has given the
most substantial evidence that he has the
spirit, of a desperate within him. The
familiar with criminals to the belief that
Raaen is not the irresponsible youth,
prompted in a moment of rashness to the
commission of a desperate deed, but
rather cool, calculating young villain
who did not hesitate for the purpose of
the robbery he so daringly carried out,
at striking blow involving possible mur-
der
That the young prisoner however, has
m fS
has poisoned his mind with inf1ammable
literature, saturated his brain with the
fictitious deeds OF dime-novel heroes and
doubtless been contaminated through evil
associations until he imagined himself
one of the heroesy-of the yellow back"
books, ready and anxious for any desper-
ate deed that might present Itself When
Raaen was arrested his trunk. secured by
the police, was half full of these novels.
The youth is also an inveterate cigarette
smoker.
Seen at the county Jail yesterday Raaen
looked. with his large blue eyes, straight
at a reporter for the G o b and greeted
the newspaper man with a cheerful smile.
He talked in the most nonchalant manner
about ordinary matters smiling continu-
ously, until the expression or pleasure
became almost monotonous to4ethe OBJ
, server. Asked how he was faring at the
jail, he answered.:
'Oh, I am getting along tip-top. Mind
being locked up? Well, I'd rather be
outside, but this~ain't so worse. I get
enough to eat and place to sleep. That
amt so bad. 49, - -''@.->- 4s't
81 went to court Friday" continued the
lad, drawing himself up at the remenl-
brance of the wondering glances cast at
him when he faced Judge Kelly to plead
to an Indictment, mistaken by the pris-
oner for unconcealed admiration, land
pleaded not guilty I've got a lawyer,
too. and / guess he will take pretty good
care of me. 1 wanted Mr.. Darragh TO da
fend me, but + guess he had another case
or something, because. when l asked for
him, they appol. II Mr.. White"
Don't you realize that yau are in q
pretty tight boX?'' Raaen was asked.
Perhaps So he. replied; ....but, say,
what's it worth At that, whatever hap
pens, 1 had a mighty fast week while
the money lasted. 1t was champagne, at
IS 81 bottle, women and all kinds of good
fellows, for a. while, anyhow. If it comes
to the reformatory it won't be so, bad
1 won't stay there long. The first good
chance I get I'll make a sneak. 1t won t
take long to beat that place. I'll be good
untflcI get the chance" .a+ss-
What would you have done If Mr.
Treacy had turned upon you and found
he had only to deal with small boy?"
asked the reporter.
"Raaen- laughed. HE didn't get a
chance to turn was the reaply, with evil
dent bravado; 81 struck him with the
hammer too quick
Did you never consider that you might
have killed Mr.. Treacy with the jagged
hammer"
Il never thought anything about that %
said the smiling youth
why did you not use some safer
weapon-something that would only
STUMP
We'll, you see, I was hard up, and had
no money to buy a slungshot or billy
l wanted to stick up the cashier some
evening, but my pardner amt got any
nerve. and he wouldn't help me. The
stick up would have been the real
thing
Deputies and others about the jail say
young Raaen carries his hero air continu-
ously. He calls for the papers the first
thing every morning and eagerly seeks
for some mention of his name. The lad
says he likes to see his name In the pa
pers, but resents any structure passed
upon his conduct.
Several days ago a local phrenologist
examined Raaen. Afterward the "profes-
sor' said that Raaen was not by the sci
ence of phrenology, In any sense a degen-
crate. His faculties, according to the pro-
fessor, were fully developed, but his ma
ture was vicious
the phrenologist told a deputy sheriff,
"he would have done the like or some
thing worse ten years from now"