The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-04-27
BOYS HAD LOTS OF MONEY
BELONGED TO JONATHAN PYLE
WHOSE HOUSE WAS ROBBED.
LdghtOn and Newton WOITertOn Make
q $SO9.5O Haul and Ray Willie
Is Tempted Into Crime.

Lighton and Newton Wolverton,
seven and eleven years Of age, sun
day Afternoon entered the home OF JO-
nathan Pyle and Joseph Meyers, in
the extreme southwestern part Of
town. and secured $3O9-50, besides
some valuable papers, Cancelled checks
and a mortgage
Information Of the burglary and
robbery was reported to the authorf-
ties Sunday evening, but no one seem
ed 70 know, and no one was suspi-
ciOned- 1t was supposed thai old
hands at the business had committed
the crime, and made their escape, IN
seen and unknown But facts are
frequently stranger than fiction. and il
later turned out that these two small
boys Of the WOlveTtOn family, who
moved to GOOdland not more than
three months ago. were guilty OF the
wrong doing As a result, the boys
are held, not so much for their Of
Tense, on account Of their tender age,
as for witnesses against Ray Willie,
- years Of age, who until last Non
day has been stopping at the WOlVer-
ton home He came with the Wolver-
tons from Derby, Ia, when they
moved 10 GOdland- Young Willie is
now IN jail TO answer 10 the charge Of
grand larceny, as accessory after the
fact, and for receiving stolen property.
The first suspicion was thrown
around these young criminals when il
Arthur Davis Spratlin, TO whom was
given a small amount Of the stolen
coin, had money and were purchas-
ing ali sorts Of things, from marbles
70 gold watches. One Of them weuE
TO the Farmers National bank to have
$50 bill changed, saying that his
father had sent him on the errand.
Later, at both hardware stores, they
tried to buy pistols, and were turned
down At the Darling store. they
No
lady clerk at Mr.. Darling's made in
QuiTy to ascertain whether or not the
money was good, because she thought
they were handling altogether too
many bills for boys Of their age and
dress The Clew was followed, and
the boys taken into custody
Monday night, a preliminary exami-
nation was held before Justice Floyd
County Attorney Calvert and Sheriff
Bradley had previously given the
youngsters a sweating, and the evil
dence implicated Ray Willie for re-
ceiving what he knew was stolen mon
ey- Young Willie had been working
for John CullinS, hauling sand, but
quit Monday noon, and was prepar-
ing to leave town on the evening train
for the home of his wife's parents in
Iowa
The story as told by the boys was
that they went TO the Pyle-Meyers
home, and finding the door unlocked,
the kitchen cabinet, they found a tin
box, locked with a tiny paddock, which
they manipulated, and finally unlock
ed They found pOcket-bOOk in
which was S309.5O, and some other
valuables. Returning toward home,
they met Ray Willie, and the largest
boy told him where they had been and
what they had done. Willie told them
that they would get a severe whipping
If their parents found out about It,
and that If they would give him SIS
ne would not tell on them Contrary
to expectations, il was found that the
smaller boy had the money, and he
reluctantly consented to disgOrge. The
money had already been hidden in the
barn, and when the two boys went to
get the $25, Willie followed them and
found the place Of the treasure. At
ter throwing them off their guard
later, he took the rest of the money,
and concealed it under the porch.
When arrested, he attempted to shield
himself by telling where the money
was.
The WOlvertOn boys hid some Of the
papers back of the barn Of the I.
Warner place, west Of the Catholic
church The Spratlin boy, when be
ing questioned, asked to be excused
few moments. He was traced and
IS were found under the corner OF an
Out-building- He, being much older,
had some idea Of the seriousness Of
the case, and tried TO rid himself Of
all evidence Of his completely. He
was not held, however, but the two
smaller boys were restrained and are
held as witnesses.
Jonathan Pyle, to whom the money
belonged, works nights as a coach
cleaner, and being a widOwer, resides
with his daughter and sOn-in-law, Mr..
and Mrs Joseph Meyers. Mr.. Meyers
works in the carpenter department at
the shops. Mrs. Meyers, who is the
faithful custodian of her fathers val
uables, in speaking Of the theft, said
that her husband and herself left the
house about ! o'clock for a walk, re-
turning about 3 o'clock. when they
discovered that the mischief had been
done. Outside the house, near a
double window, they found the tiny
paddock, which fastened the box con-
tanning the money and other valuables
belonging to Mr. Pyle The amount