The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-20
STEALS GIFTS FOR
HIS BABY SISTER
Nine-year-OId Boy Yields TO
Temptation.
MONEY HAD ALL BEEN SPENT
RATHER THAN DISAPPOINT
LITTLE ONE he PLIERS.

n AUGHT in the act OF stealing lit
Ii tie doll and nursery book for MS
baby sisters Christmas presents
from the Fair store 279 Main street,
Willie Mason. . years of aSe. was TAX
ETA to the police station yesterday and
locked up
The lad had come from his home i'm
Sugar House ward yesterday morning
and spent most of the day walking up
and down Main street gazing I'm the
5. indows at the beautiful toys I'm his
rocket ne had but Il 50-cent piece with
.hich to purchase things for his three
IjtIe sisters THE longer he gazed the
more ne saw. and the more he wanted.
He clutched the silver coin IN his
7 ands as ne asked the prices Of dolls.
story books. a little train, skates and
numerous other toys. He handled the
toys over and over again In trying TO
Gecide what he would buy for his baby
sisters. His 80 cents could not buy dll
the things ne wanted and he left store
after store in search for something
cheaper so ne could give all his sisters
Z. present.
AT last he made his way into the
crowded Fair store and the child saw
So many things ne was bewildered- He
saw toys ne had decided 10 buy months
ago for Christmas. and he was so eX-
cited he did not know what To get first
Fearing that somebody would buy the
toys ne had thought Of so long. ne
RULED mis- silver COIN out of his pocket
and. picking up a tin horse and cart
" hich ran about the counter. he pur-
chased IL. He had 30 cents left
Sends Letter to Santa.
Next he saw cap pistol and pur-
| chased IL. with five cents worth of caps
/ + his was his Christmas and ne sent
( letter To Santa Claus asking for drum
and cap He chUckled with delight as
/ ne showed it down his pocket, thinking
/ " Lat merry time ne would have with
! ali his presents. He counted his money
+ again and ne had 20 cents left
/ He sDied a little iron stove which
J the clerk said ne could make fire IN
> and cook on. but 81 cost . cents. He
/ only had 20 cents The clerk. worried
! with questions, asked him sharply, DO
/ YOU want 10 buy IT,.
He counted his money again I've
! cuIy got two dimes" he said, looking
/ up at the clerk.
IF you want it I viii sell it TO you
/ Cor 20 cents" the clerk replied.
He took the stove ana marched out
/ of the store with an air of pride and
/ Cheerfulness-
Starts to Walk Home.
It was getting late. and for the first
time during the whole day ne discov-
cred he was hungry HIS first thoughts
were TO 80 nome. He had no car Iare,
Sc he started Ia walk nome. on his
way home ne was thinking of the merry
times he would have on Christmas. For
/ the first time ne counted his presents
end mis- little baby sister had been for
gotten. He stopped and wondered
What he would do
Shall I go back and trade my pistol
for doll for my baby sister?' he asked
/ himself. Shall L give up my Christ
mas tory 50 that she can have some
, thing 10 play with too'
As these thoughts passed through his
/ mind. he tearfUllv explained afterward,
4 he turned around ana came back He
/ left his toys OUtslde-au but his pis-
tc,-aud went mo the store.
Once more he gazed on the many
pretty things ana finally picked up
coll. He was pushed aside by the
crowds and nobody saw him with the
doll.
He put it i'm his pocket.
He pushed his way uD 10 the counter
again, and ne grabbed a book.
Caught With the Book.
He hated to give up his toy pistol
/ AID was seized with q desire 10 steal
/ With a guilty conscience. he started for
/ the door one Of The clerks had seen
. inn take the book. and as he hurried
toward the door ne was caught. The
, col and book were taken from him.
( He burst into tears. he begged them
. 20 let him go home. but he was turned
! over to the police and taken TO the city
Jail.
He was locked up in a cell and given
/ mis- toys. but he cast them aside and
: cried and cried, until he fell asleep.
About O'Clock his parents called for
. him. and the lad was taken home with
/ lis purchased toys, but the stolen doll
+ and nursery book were returned 10 the
! store.