The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-09
BOY THIEF'S CRIME
STOLE POSTAL FUNDS ALTHOUGH
ONLY ELEVEN.
9oYs FRANK CONFESSION.
-xpy BRUCE'S STEP-FATHER
TArGHT HIM HOW TO STEAL.

,., watched Druggist Reid Work
.b. safe Combination and When
uis Back Was Turned Learned
uoxx II Was DOne-Secured So the
,,.+ Time, and Committed Other
chofts Until He Had $65-Always
Cave His Step-father Haif-Bruce
YuveniIe of More Than Average
Intelligence, and United states
co,,misSioner Recommended That
placed in a RefOrmatOry.
,-.aer the direction of his step-fath-
md with an intelligence remarka-
Wv for one Of his years, Henry Bruce,
t1-vear-old negro, committed thefts
= ,ostal funds amounting to S65 dur
sno the latter part of February. The
.toaling was from the postofiice sub
a4otion in Reds drug store, at Jones
and Abercorn streets.
with nerfect frankness, and mark
ID degree of accuracy, the young Grim
,nol made a full confession to United
c+o+es Commissioner Ryals yesterday.
IA told of the instructions given him
Nv his step-father, whom the officers
-,oro unable to find, and of the manner
IN which he stole the money from the
,ro, safe kept in the drug store. The
how declared that he had never been
Dron,nted by a desire to take that
which did not belong to him until elab-
oratelv instructed by his step-father.
He said that the man Wells had told
him to watch Mr.. Reid carefully and
see how he opened the safe so that he
could do it.
According to the youthful prisoner s
storv he was an apt pupil and when
Mr. Reid was engaged in the front or
the store he found no difficulty in turn
ing the combination of the safe ana
onening the cash box with the aid or a
stick that he had made. the nrst
T,onav that he took was a S. bill, and
This he claims he delivered to Wells.
Ha said he was given further instruc-
tions and not to let his mother know
what he was doing. He was to leave
The money under the steps when he
could not conveniently hand 1t to Wells,
and he claims he did this twice. The
second time he entered the safe he TOOK
80 and the third time SIS. Other sums
were taken at different times.
The boy declared that he had been
perfectly square with his step-father,
and had seen to it each time that ne
got half, although he was supposed TO
get it all. He impressed the commits
sioner as a boy of more than average
intelligence although small in stature.
Bruce bought a watch and bicycle
with some of the money, gave some or
it to companions and had some stolen
from him, according to his story. HIS
mother was present at the hearing and
appeared to be a woman of respectable
ity. She said that she had done her Ut
most to bring the boy up properly.
The womans manner and conduct
made a favorable impression, and she
was allowed to furnish bail for her
son in a nominal sum.
In holding the young prisoner the
commissioner commented upon his IN
Il telligence and recommended that he
be sent to a reformatory. Later AS
sistant District Attorney Alderman
talked with the prisoner and after
wards with his mother, and convinc-
ed the woman that the only and proper
place for her son is a reformatory,
and she readily assented. He was de-
livered to her custody, after the bond
had been signed, and will plead guilty
in court tomorrow after which he
will be sent by the government to
reform school.