The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-30
boy BURGLARS RUNDOWN
Police Unexpectedly Unearth a
Band Of Youthful Plunderers.
jeremiah Washington, Arrested ON
nishes Evidence-Clnims He and
Seven Companions Have Long Been
Engaged In RobbinR Many Houses.

Eight coioFed boys. forming what the
police claim to be an organized gang of
thieves. are lodged at the House of De-
tention. They were taken into custody
early yesterday morning. They have for
months, 1t is said, operated In the north
west section of the city. More than a
score of dwellings have been forced open
and property stolen or destroyed. valued.
it is claimed, at thousands of dollars.
The boys arrested yesterday are believed
| to be responsible for many IL not all Of
the burglaries.
! Jeremiah Washington. aged seventeen
years. and Leonard Payne. Henry Robin
son, Alfred CoveI. Thomas vunie. Joshua
| Tolliver. William Keesee, and Charles
| Butler, all under sixteen years of age.
compose the gang. They all reside in the
| neighborhood known as Whitechapei. near
| the corner OF Twenty-fourth and Streets
northwest, bounded on the west by Rock
Creek and by Phillips Court on the east
Young Washington was first arrested.
Late Tuesday evening his mother APP
preached Policeman Lee, Of the Third
precinct station, while the latter was
patrolling his beat She told him that she
could not manage her boy. He remained
out at night and was unrufy when at
home. She asked that he be arrested, and
said she would appear against him in
court. Accordingly jeremiah Washington
was taken 10 the station There he told
an interesting story. He said that he.
with other boys, had entered houses.
robbed merchants. pilfered dwellings OF
piping, fixtures, pictures, and property Of
every description Once this information
was obtained. he was pressed further. and
several boys were implicated.
Yesterday morning about O'Clock Ser
geant Sullivan detailed Policeman Ed
wards, Garvey, O'Brien. and Lee to arrest
the suspected youths. The policemen went
to WhitechapeI and took the boys from
their homes, sending them to the station
in the patrol wagon There they were ex-
amined. Several of the boys admitted thsir
guilt. duplicating others, and finally the
whole scheme was brought to light 1t
was learned that the boys had operated for
months; had entered many dwellings,, and
secured great amount Of booty. Houses
whose owners are away for the summer
were given particular attention by the
gang. The booty was sold and the profits
divided.
The prisoners explained how they had
carefully studied the beats Of various DO
licemen, and their hours for reporting to
the stations through patrol boxes They
dlNdyS posted guard prior 10 entering q
house, whose duty 1t was TO warn the gang
at the approach Of the police An entrance
was effected through a rear window. as
rule, and each residence was ransacked
Bathtub Innings. gas fixtures, and piping
we're torn off With hatehet ard pictures
were taken from the walls Every night
at IL o'clock. the boys say, they would re-
pair to Rock Greek. where high bank Sc
cured them from interruption. They would
here divide their spoils, melt their piping
and lead, and then plan another trip for
plunder.
Some weeks ago the police received a
letter from 3. H. Warner & Co., making
complaint against thieves who had entered
a vacant house at 23f3 VI Street northwest
Other complaints have been coming for
months. The houses entered have gener-
ally been vacant, their owners being at
summer resorts. What little property has
been recovered has not been Identified. ow-
ing to this fact. This property includes
silver and chinaware Among the houses
entered are Nos 2226. 222s, 2232 Q Street
northwest; 1921 Twenty-ffth Street north
west, and many in Georgetown All are
now deserted by their tenants.