The Portland daily press., 1899-08-31
And Had a Feast of
Picked Lines.
The Gold Watch He Hid Under
An Old Pair Of Stairs.

| Little Michael Cortecelli, three years
old, is precocious youngstar. He lie an
italian and has big black eyes and feat
ures that would appeal to an artist, but
hereafter he will not be pet among
those who have amused themselves by
playing with him. He is without doubt
the youngest criminal the police have
ever been called upon 30 look after, and
it all came about in this way:
Michael has been made much OF by
Mrs. Farley of II Mountfort street. Be-
ing allowed by his parents to run much
at large, the little boy has wandered q
great deal around Mountft 1T street, and
Mrs, Farley has given him many
good meal and otherwise made pet
of him. de has been allowed TO play
about Mrs. Earley's house and one day
asked II she had q watch. 1t was o
strange question for child OF 8 to ask.
but Mrs, Farley told the little boy that
her daughter had very pretty gold
watch. and thought nothing more about
IL.
1t had been young Michael's dream to
possess real watch which could keep the
time as proper watch should. lie
thought 1t would be nice to have chain
about his neck and glistening in the
sunlight, and SO the young Italian began
hunting for the watch Of Miss Farley.
He found 1t at last ons day while play
ing about the house. 1t was In Miss
Earley's room and had just such a chain
as he had been dreaming about. Near 1T
was little silver watch which Michael
didn't care so much about, but he appro-
priated both the gold and the silver
watch and departed with them spugly
hidden away beneath his dirty little
shirt
He found man ON Fore street, who
was willing to buy the silver watch and
who gave the child ten cents for 1t.
Michael invested this dime In candy and
picked lines and proceeded to enjoy the
feast, now and then taking the gold
watch and chain from his bosom ara
playing with them. When 1t grew late
the little boy hid the watch and chain uE-
der pair of old steps and went home TO
supper.
Miss Farley thought a great deal of
this gold watch, and last night when
she came home and could not lind 1t, at
once concluded that 1t had been stolen
while she Ewas away from home. She
questioned her mother about 1t, but
her mother knew nothing about the
watch and was sure no one had been In
the house all day. "Only that little Ital-
ain hoy has been here, i am sure" she
said.
Unreasonable as 1t seemed. Miss Farley
WAS at once convinced that the little
italian boy was the thief, and she start
ed on TO play detective. 1t didn't take
her long to locate the little silver watch
which had been sold for ten cents by an
little tot of dago," as the pawn broker
said. Michael was at once suspected as
the guilty party, but when Miss Farley
went to the house the little fellow denied
that he knew anything about it. Sharp.
| ly questioned he at last acknowledged
that he had seen the watch. yes, he had
had 1t in his hands, but he could not
| remember what he had done with 1t.
Here was nice riddle for an amateur
detective to solve, and Miss Farley went
to the police station with her trouble.
Officer Moore was detailed to look into
the case and went to little Michasl's
home last night. The sight Of the blue
coat and brass buttons frightened the
little boy, who has been taught to fear
these men who take men away and lock
them up when they do wrong, and he at
once remembered where the watch had
been hidden. So he went out and found
| il under the old pair of stairs, and in
tears begged not to be locked up. He
wasn't, but Miss Farley says that her
mother will not entertain any more little
Italian boys If she knows 1t. 6