The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-26
GAY YOUNGSTER GETS
INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE
Precocious Boy Of Thirteen
FORCES a Check,

Police Headquarters was the setting for
an odd scene Seated amid circle of
detectives, Richard f. Murphy, a TWEEN
tieth century youth of thirteen summers.
clad in patent leather shoes. silk stock
ings. white vest, and golf cap, with a
caruatton in either lapel recounted to
Sergeant Carter, with airy waves of his
cane, his varied travels and experiences,
the last of which is said to have con
sisted in passing a worthless check on
the head of 4 leading New York firm
The police yesterday received notice
from the detective of the Adams Dry
Goods Company OF New York TO look
out for a boy of fourteen. with the ad-
dress and manners of an educated man
of thirty, who had passed bogus check
for $50 on the head of that firm The
Adams Dry. Goods Company is a large
establishment on Sixth Avenue, between
Twenty first and Twenty second Streets.
Information was also vouchsafed that
the boy would probably be found at one
of the leading hotels
Detective Carl Father was assigned
TO the case. He soon learned that on
Saturday night a youth answering the
description had arrived in this city, who
had driven first to the New Willard and
then 10 the Shoreham. asking for suite
of rooms with bath Neither Of these
houses being able to meet his demands,
/ he had then gone to the Raleigh. On
! leaving the cab he had tossed the cab
man a dollar. though the fare was but
I 20 cents, and gave the porter who car
ried his grips into the hotel 30 cents.
/ He registered under the name of Richard
/ {. Murphy The detective found him
later at the Shoreham. where he was
! seated in the corridor with the non
/ chaIance of travelled man. When ar
rested the boy asked not TO be taken
past the Raleigh, as II would make him
/ feel cheap"
Murphy admitted he had passed the
check on the New York house He first
/ deposited So in the Excelsior Savings
/ Bank of that city BY making this de-
post he obtained pass book OF the
/ bank in which he then made false en-
/ tries of deposits of 500 and $40 He
/ then called upon Mr. Adams, whom he
/ had never seen before, and by means
OF his engaging manner and extreme
youth induced that gentleman to certify
/ a check for $50. so that he could cash
/ it at the Office
He was the easiest mark ever saw, "
said the boy in speaking OF this tran
saction "A man who has been in bust
ness as long as he has and doesn't know
/ that a check on a savings bank is worth
/ less, ought to get done up
/ Murphy also admitted passing a bad
/ check for $22 on SiegeI, Cooper & Co, Of
/ Chicago. but said II was net drawn in
/ his name. but was made out to him by a
/ friend, " whose name he gave as Robert
+ Mandel. He has a check book with stubs
amounting to several hundreds of dol
/ lars. but says they are for checks which
I he did not succeed IN getting cashed.
/ Search Of Murphy's dress suit case and
vaIise revealed two decks of cards and
set of poker chips, besides reeeipted
hotel bills OF leading hotels all over the
/ country. among them bills from the
/ Auditorium in Chicago. the WaIdorf-As-
toria in New York, and the AIbemarIe in
/ Philadelphia There were also a lot OF
/ Pullman car checks. DO you always
ride IN PulImans2" asked the detective
4 Why, certainly" was the reply in q
tone of surprise. He had on him SIS in
/ bills when arrested
/ Murphy's hons. is St Joseph, Mo,
where his father is connected with the
/ Combe Printing Company. He was thir-
teen years old last August Up TO wttain
a year he lived in Jefferson City. the
3 p go h Frr-
man of the Tribune Publishing com
pany. While in Jefferson City this pre-
cocious youth edited a weekly paper.
/ called The Spectator and il was in
+ this capacity that he first begin his
/ travelling about the country alone, He
went 10 New York, and as the youngest
/ editor Of a legitimate publication. inter
viewed all the leading men. publishing
I interviews with Russell Sage. John ".
! Gates. and other faanciers, besides d lot
+ Of prominent politicians. He knows per
+ sonaIIy nearly all the prominent public
/ men.
His. extreme youth. manner engaging
+ and apparently frank. and an address
/ and vocabulary that would put to the
/ blush the average college graduate, have
/ gained him admission and a respectful
/ hearing where older men would have
failed to penetrate beyond the ante
Lchamber. he said last night that If he
had to go home. he would get his
/ friend, Senator Depew," to get him a
! railroad pass.
This is not the first escapade Of this
precocious youngster. During the IA
/ nous Doodle scandal in St. Louis he was
|actuaIIy arrested. IL is said. and charged
with being the agent who transferred the
money from the president OF ole OF the
great street railway systems of-that city
| TO q member Of the city council. as the
Iatters price for supporting the fran
chise grab. This is the scandal for
/ which Charles Il. Kelley, formerly clerk
/ Of the house OF delegates, of ST. Louis,
was the other day sentenced to two years
In the Missouri penitentiary. Guilt
could not be fastened on young Murphy,
and he was released 7 told Chief or
Detectives Desmond" he said. when
speaking Of this occurrence last night.
arhzzS II was of no use to sweat me &C