The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-06
& YEARS +, L IN. The / 4. !. !.
PEN 1HO.ONLY q
ZERO STOLE A STEAMBOAT WHEN
..4s,,HE WAS BUT Il. MID
Became Thief, He Says, Because His
Teachers and Keepers Gould See No
A., Good in Him and Constantly. Pre-
dicted that He Would Lead Grim
inal Life.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Sioux City, Iowa, Aug. e.-Roy Ferro, who
began bis criminal career by stealing Mis-
souri, river steamboat when he was IA years old
breaking into house on the day Re was re-
leased from the South Dakota penitentiary, says
he became a thief because his school teachers
and keepers told him repea teddy that he would
end his days In prison Or swing from a gal
lows. ..~s =. s,s -.a." -..t.- ~
Zero, at the age of %, has served nearly six
years In reformatories and penitentiaries and has
been a police -hunted criminal since he was
mere boy. His crimes have all been without
a purpose, and, according to his own statement,
he never, prohted cent by any of them.
The first person who told Zero he was sure
to go to the penitentiary some day .wns a school
teacher in the little town Of Ponca. D .ee,:>,,s.
,''I took some of her watercolor paints out OF
her desk one day after school," he said, ''She
learned Of the theft and the next day she talked
to ME a long time. She held both of my hands
in hers and talked kindly to me. She was
good little woman and I would not for any
thing tell her name. But i left my teacher that
day feeling that I was Assure enough criminal.
She told me such crimes as had committed
always led one to prison."
Took a Steamboat. "''
Then the steamboat incident followed For
this offense he spent three years in the re-
formatory. One escapade followed another after
he went to the school: and one time he led
whole company Of the boys to run away with
him.
Zero never led wholesale runaway after that
but he made several clever escapes himself.
In the reform school, he said, instructors and
officers kept pointing the way to the peni-
Tertiary. Jalres Holland, teacher. had
charge Of the incorrigible youth and while he
was locked in the dungeon bread and water
the boy says he was lectured about his evil ways
and told that twelve out Of every twenty boys
| who left the school went to the penitentiary.
II listened ntently,' said Fero because I
was now thoroly persuaded that I was to be 4
! criminal" ~ 'L;r t"''
Argentina Wants Him.
| Charles. Dana, Reed, in charge Of the Sioux
City weather office, has been offered the position
OF chief OF the forecast department Of the wealth
err bureau Of the Argentine republic at fine
advance Of salary The offer comes thru Willis
4 L. Moore, chief Of the United States weather
! bureau. Z:
! Mr.. Reed is undecided whether to accept,
hesitating to meye his family 50 far from home.
| Copies have been received here of an order
" by Adjutant General Thrift, detailing for duty
certain officers of thee Iowa national guard as
camp stan for the competition in rife practice
among the soldiers Of the guard at the state
army post rife range Aug. 21-24. The officers
| detailed are: ~ :. ~:
Executive range officer--Ieutenant Colonel
Thomas F. Cooke, Fffty-sixth infantry.
Range oficers-Captain E. E. Lucas, inspector
small-arms practice, Fifty-fourth Infantry Cap.
tce nratry Second Ieate Rrae
Lloyd - Ross, inspector small-arms practice
| Fifty-ffth infantry
Statistical of1ieer-Captain Henry A. woelhaf
Company H, Fifty-fotrfth infantry -
Camp adjutant-Captan Thomas IA. Berkebile
| Company C, Fifty-third infantry. $50
| Camp surgeon--First Lieutenant Park A. Find
ley, assistant surgeanSf Fifty fifth. infantry.
Camp ordnance onicer-Captain Frederick 8
! Hird. gompany "a, Fifty-ffth infantry
Camp quartefii,asterH and ttommissary OFFICER
Captain Guy S. Brewer commissary Fifty-hftt
ofricers in charge of pit detailsAcaptain N P
| Hyatt. Company CT Fifty sixth infantry; Cap
tain W. s. Norton, Company G, sFifty-fourtf
infantry. ...sy, -
%ttAGjutant's clerk-Sergeant James A. Benfer
Company G. Fifty-thrd infantry. >.~ 49,
Camp ordnance sergeant-Sergeant W. Edward
EEyans. Company NJ, Fifty-f1fth infantry.
r. First class sergeant hospital ) corps to b.
designated by camp surgeon. u !
IS -Four statistical clerks to be designated By
sta tistical officer. ,sy-'. :,
Camp buglers-NIustcian Arthur E.. Krause
Company A. Fifty-third infantry; Musician
Thomas e. Kirkpat trick, Company l., Fifty hft1
infantry. u - !,