The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-08
PROUD OF HIS ROBBERIES.
,IyyER, TIRE YOUNG NoRWALH
THIEP, PLEADS GUILTY.

mi, Arrest Prevented the Robbery Of =
J,veiry Store which He Had Pisnn cd
betrayed by n Man to Whom He Con-
AIDED HIS Scheme-writes His History.
NoswALK Conn. Dec. 7.-John Tanner. the
,insteen .year-old robber who sawed his way
AIT o, the Norwalk police station eight weeks
,so while awaiting trial for numerous burglar
,ss and who was recaptured last night by
naputy Sheriff Fitzroy Of Greenwich. pleaded
.nlty incourt this afternoon and was held I'M
dsrs2 400 bonds for trial at the February term
1.-THE Superior Court at bridgeport. The police
have az vet secured no clue OF Phillips. the
,,r,per Of Tanner, who broke jail at the snmc
time. though he Is still believed to be In this
psirhbot hood. The charges OF robbery to
which Tanner pleads guilty are the looting OF
Browns shoe store. Brundage's meat market
and the store OF Josclovsky 4 Co.
Tanner and Phillips when captured were
loaded with plumber from the two former
n,ees wh'o the goods from the latter we're
iound secret d in an old barn on the outskirts
o,the city with quantity OF silverware and
o,her valuable plumber. all OF which has been
idsptined. Tanner was first captured al the
ront Of a pistol by officer Bartram. but Phil
iIps broke and ran. being slightly wounded by
a bullet the officer sent after him. Several
other shots were fired, but went wide OF tho
mark Phillips was afterward captured. hid
ing In another barn near the one that the plum
der was secreted in. When the robbers escaped
the surrounding towns ware notified. and Dep
uty sheriff Ftzroy OF Greenwich. who remem-
bered that Tanner had at one time worked in
that neig hborhood. decided to keep his eyes
opsn. He was rewarded for his vigilance last
night by the capture Of Tanner In billiard
saloon near the Greenwich station.
uoIt NJ NnrWnlk
ras taken into custody bv tho South Norwalk
police this afternoon upon a warrant charging
him with robbery. He is said to be the leader
q, A gang OF boy thieves. who. since the escnpe
OF Tanner and Phillips from Jail. have been
emulating their example in carrying out num-
srous hurglaries. He was accused OF robhing
Water street, south Notwalk. tho town Chill:
dren's Home in Norwalk. the Lowndes hat
I pisce. in town. smains admitted hIs guilt
and said that several other Young lads nnout
south Norwalk were implicated with him in
GREESwrcu. Conn. Dec. by the capture Of
John Tanner OF Norwalk last night. Deru'y
i 10 Fort f Chester icWeiry store later in The
evening. Tanner had been stopping, about
Port Chester for some weeks and several small
%sy be- srSSsT 10 him HS grew bold Within
few days and crossed the line back into Con.
and TOOK two Of them into his confidence, To
hs neW ompanions he unfolded the "details ~
his proposed Job last night In Port Che ster.
He wanted an assistant. His confldant, how
ever, did not think well Of the scheme. and at
the frat opportunity notified Sheriff FitZroy.
The latter soon arrested his man.
In the lookup Tanner seemed 70 he partlcu-
larry proud OF HIS lail-breaRing episode in Nor
walk He SAYS he accomplished the Job with
the aid Of knife which the officers failed 70
md on him when he was locked up. lie said
the Norwalk police were too slow to catch cold.
He sail h. IL guilty Of any charge the police Of
Norvalk have against him ard more too. In
his rockets, beside several skeleton keya. was
aptepared history OF his early lite. written aud
signed by hlm. apparently very recently. The
history covers the years from the time his
father and mother died In the fall Of lseSS.
when he was q years old FOR about five years
following. At their death h" was left to his
grandparents. He says harsh treatment drove
him to stealing for living. II" tells whore he
worked each year. md how. when he was 10
Tanner admits having committed robberiea
Fitzroy that last summer he stole two bicycles
there and sold them in Greenwich. He was
employed last summer as cook on the schooner
NJ J. Betty. owned by c. F.. Grgg OF Green
wch. One night while the boat was lying at
Port Chester harbor he and one of the crew
robbed an Italian fruit store at East Port
Chester They carried OF seven noSes OF
oranges and lemons. and other goods. which
they sold for $50. They divided the sToils,
but hefor" morning Tanner robbed his com
rarion OF the SO and a new suit Of clothes and
skipped. He also told OF several other Jobs he
was In.