The San Francisco call., 1899-04-30
VICIOUS TRAIT IN
REDLANDS' YOUNG
TRAIN WRECKER
Cunning Of the Criminal Dis
played by Little Harry
Gregg.

n EDLANDS, April 2S.-Harry Gregg
n Of this city, the youngest train
i wrecker, or would-be train
wrecker, in the world, has not the
appearance of a vicious child; indeed,
his countenance is open and frank and
his animated conversation gives one the
impression that he is a vivacious,
straightforward, but very precocious
youth, except for an occasional SLY
glance of the eye, revealing the under
current of cunning in his nature. AL
though nine years old, he is rather
small. appearing to be a year younger
as barefooted he scurries about, clad
in a waist and knee trousers, with
cycling cap jauntily placed upon the
back of his head and leaving protrud-
ing from it bountiful supply of hair
of the ''towhead" type. He has round
face, with pug" nose, rather small
mouth, the corners somewhat de-
pressed, and eyes always in motion,
partly as though from bashfulness and
partly as though seeking some object.
His eyebrows and lashes are light and
indistinct and his face is covered with
large freckles, though not of dark
shade.
AS he talked to-day he was constant
ly in motion, yet showed no disposition
to run away or to avoid an interview.
AS he talked he drew rapidly, with his
toes, in the dust by the roadside circles,
rosettes, scrolls and conventional de-
signs of good proportion and we'll bal
.anced yet doing it while talking and
apparently without giving the matter
q thought.
Are you fond of drawing and do you
do much of it?" he was asked.
Yes, indeed" he said; I'VE draw
some every afternoon most. We study
colors, too. To-day We had yellow and
blue papers. Teacher gives us piece
of paper like this (holding his hands
about eight inches aparD and we cut
them up into strips and show all the
colors from normal yellow to normal
blue"
What do you mean by normal blue?"
Normal yellow is jest yellow, with
out any other color in it; then you keep
adding a little blue until it is jest blue
and no other colors in it, and it's normal
blue. We have different colors some
times and make pretty things. I'm in
the third grade now, and Miss Trip
petts my teacher. I'll be in the fourth
grade next year, same's that great big
girl there. She's not been to school for
some time, so she don't get promoted" ="
SO on he ratified away from one thing
to another telling about different peo-
pie and their family relations, as his
eyes would fall upon the school children
passing.
How did you come to wire the piece
of rail to the railroad track?" was
asked.
Il didn't know that it'd wreck the
train" he said. quickly.
In the trial before the Justice of the
Peace two witnesses had told how he
did it, and he heard their testimony:
but when he was examined he denied
positively having had anything to do
with it, and said he knew nothing
about it.
i didn't want to wreck the train, as
mamma and papa were on it and I'd be
awful sorry"
His parents were not on the train and
he knew it perfectly we'll But it is a
remarkable thing that he never lacks
for a plausible explanation or excuse
for any act.
I jest tied it up close to the track
SOS the thing on the side of the wheel
couldn't go between and would split
the piece of iron ca section of steel rail
three and half feet Iong), cause 1
wanted it in two to make a thing to
put beside the wheels of a handcar I
was goin' to make to keep the wheels
from goin' off the track, this way, you
see"
Taking several pieces of straw from
the ground, he explained that the bar