The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-02
TRIO Of YOUTHFUL
. CROOKS FROM PROVO.
Boys Less Than Thirteen Years
of Age Confess to Rob-
bing Store.
CONCEAL MONEY AND
TELL FAIRY STORY
Chief Of Police Sheets Finally
Succeeds in Learning Truth
From Youngsters. y;

Friday afternoon three youths, seated
side by side and leaning against tho
wall in Chief Sheets 8 room at polica
headquarters were earnestly pleading
their cause before the tall guardian Of
the peace. They were Wallace Kroupea
Maurice Bcebee and Herbert Slater OF
Provo, whose ages range from IL to.
against them WAS that of burglarizing
ihe Perry grocery store at Provo lasS
Wednesday night and securing Sl53.
At first they were unanimous In de-
claring their innocence, but their con-
versation soon involved them in a mazs
of difficulties, from which they could not
we'll extricate themselves without az
least submitting evidence which had q
tendency to incriminate. So they told
the chief that they entered the store
on the night of the burglary, but as<
serted that they secured only $40, They
were all agreed that $40 was the sum
total of The booty and every assertion
made by one Of their number was corr
roborated by the other two.
They said that they might have for
gotten to close the door of the store,
and that it was possible some one Ell,
tered after they had left and secured
the remainder Of the missing money
II was here that Chief Sheets brought
his knowledge OF mathematics into re-
QUESTION. lie knew that they had been
spending their money rather lavishlv
since their arrival in the city, Thursday
morning, and he found that this. In
connection with the amount of their
car fare, exceeded the sum which they
said they had secured from the store.
During their period of prosperity one
Of the boys had bought gold ring, and
this purchase aided the chief in max
ing his computation:
Now" said Chief Sheets, address,
ing young Beebee, "you seem to be a
mean TO say that you think I will be-
lieve what you have said. Come here
and tell me what you did with the
moneylo After thinking the matter
over briefly, Maurice unbuttoned his
vest and produced five $50 gold pieces.
The boys had been searched shortly af-
ter their arrest, but the money had been
so cleverly concealed that it was over
looked. All told, Sll0 was recovered,
and what became of the remainder re-
mains TO be learned They accompanied
Sheriff Harmon to Provo last night
The manner IN which they were ap-
pretended was peculiar in some ways.
Some time Wednesday morning the po-
lice were notified by the management Of
the ROYAL cafe that the three boys were
taking their meals at the cafe and were
inviting suspicion by their lavish ex-
renditure of money Detective Wheel
ing conducted An investigation, which
resulted in the bows arrest About this
time a message was received from Provo
stating that the Perry store had been
burglarized on Wednesday night.
AS the boys arrived here Thursday
morning. having rented a room at the
Cliff house shortly after their arrival,
this seemed suspicious, and when they
were accused their confession was the
consequence. They gained entrance to
the store by means of KEY and took
the money from the cash drawer.