The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-27
A PRECIOUS CRIMINAL
MONTHS BUTLER. ELEVEN YEARS
OLD. IN THE COUNTY AL.
He Was Caught i'm the Act of Robbing
the Postomce at Fort Branch
Previous Escapades.

Months Butler. eleven years of age. ac-
cording TO his W admissions and the
statements Of a deputy United States
marshal who brought him here last night
from Evansville and placed him in jail to
await trial in the Federal Court. is one
Of the most cunning young criminals with
whom the local office has had TO deal.
on the afternoon of April 16 the post
master at Fort Branch. in Gibson county.
locked the doors leading into the postofice
proper, leaving the front doors open so
that people might get their ma. from lock
boxes. lie went to the bank and deposited
his money. He had been gone about five
the money drawer had been opened and n
silver dollar and "A number of pennies taken
There were no evidence of how the thief
had entered or left the place, and the post
master thought he might have been mis-
taken about leaving tho silver dollar in
the drawer. Upon balancing his books. he
found. however, that he was short just the
amount he thought he had left in the
drawer.
About the same time on the afternoon Of
April IS he locked the Office as on the 10th.
going to the bank and leaving 10 cents i'm
the drawer. He was absent about five min
utes and upon returning found his cash
drawer had again been entered and the
money taken. No clew could be found
which would lead to the detection of the
thief.
on Apr. p he secured the assistance Of
the town marshal, who concealed himself
in the postoffce just before the postmaster
left for the bank. The Official had no more
than left the building when the marshal
heard a noise. Looking toward the front
he saw a small arm thrust through one of
the pigeon holes. The hand went down,
and as 1t was about TO open the money
drawer. which was directly beneath. the
marshal grabbed the arm. Looking through
the hole he saw the face of a small boy.
He released his hold and caught the lad
before he got out OF the building. The boy
proved to be Months Butler.
ACTIONS IN JAIL.
The deputy marshal who brought him
here after taking him before the commits
sioner at Evansville said he was notified
of the case the day following. but was un-
able to get to Fort Branch until twenty
fou hours later. During this time the
marshal. not willing TO put the boy into
the town calaboose. guarded him in per-
eOAA - - 0AA1N AlA1 III Na1 IaN IL NA1 IohA
over night, and when he appeared before
Commissioners j. w. wartman he told the
commissioner upon being asked how he
had Jared at the Jail that he had a fine
time and had just knocked the daylights
out of another boy confined there.
The boy is unusually bright. He is a
waif and had, as developed in his stories
TO the deputy marshal. lived and attended
school whenever he felt like ii in Evans
Vile, Terre Haute and Chicago. When
asked If the boys in the jail were not a
hard lot he said: Yes. l guess so. but
they amt no harder than L am"
The deputy marshal did a little investi-
eating on his own account and learned that
the boy was i'm Fort Branch. his board
being paid by a man who was known TO
him as his uncle. but who is said to be his
own father. The man married a sister or
the boys mother and now lives at Oak
landon City.
The marshal was greatly surprised when
the child intimated that the night in jail
at Evansville was not his first experience
i'm such a place. When asked II he had
ever been arrested he said he had been for
the theft of handkerchiefs from Goodman's
clothing store In Evansville. He explained
in a cheerful and almost boastfui manner
that he got enough from the cash drawer
to have "A good time" He said he con-
ceived the idea of robbing the money draw
er after loafing for a number OF days about
the postofice. Through the outside win
dow he had during the afternoons seen the
postmaster making up his deposit slips,
taking the money from the drawer. rms
drawer was light underneath a lock OK
from which the local preacher took his
mail. He noticed this and also tina. the
preacher never locked the box, l. being
one of the old-fashioned locks for which
a key is necessary both 10 open ard fastcn.
Upon trying he found he could reach
through the hole down to the drawer, and
then he watched until the postmaster left
for the bank.
The lad had no fear of being confined
in Jail or being sent to the R~etormatory,
and rather seems TO enjoy the little no.
toriety he has already had.