The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-05-11
BOY TURNS FOO1pAD
lS-Year-0ld Lad Caught il
Hold-up Kills Himself.
SAD FATE OF HAROLD JONES

Told at His Home to Shift For Him.
self. He Turned to Crime and Shot
Himself Through the Heart When
Pursued by Policemen.
Philadelphia. MAY N-Dctcctcl in
the act OF waylaying two men at 10th
street and Lancaster avenue and In
instant danger OF arrest. Harold :
Jones. l5-Near-0ld boy. of 3O22 Bcrks
street. shot himself through the heart
rather than face Disgrace
Ordered to ind other employment
than IN his fathers shop he had taken
to the road as the rcadiest means of
earning living.
The boy 5 crime and fatal shooting
came as the sequel OF a stormy scene
with his father
Il don't know what I shall do and
l don't care. he had told his moth p
when she tied 10 comfort him as ne
packed his few belongings and lett
his fathers home Il was not l. hours
later that the heart broken mother
heard OF her sons death by his own
hand
Il can't imagine why he did a." she
kept saying 10 herself. Il can't un
derstand IT, There was no reason
why he should DO such thing lie
has always been a good boy II shock.
ed me more when I heard that hc hal
tried 20 rob those men than when I
was told that he sho, himself after he
was caught I can't realize that he
meant TO rob them
Harold had been working for his
father They had some words don't
know what IL was about Anyhow. ]
heard my husband tell Harold that he
had better go out aud get other work
Il think he must nave Eut into asa
rompany and that the whole thing
was the result OF skylarkinE I can't
imagine where he got the revolver
lie never had one around the house
as far as I know He always seemed
To DE good boy. lie never drank and
he didn't nave any other bad habits
/ can't understand IT, can't under
stand it,"
sent from his home. young Jones
sought lodging house. where Dee !. 70
has clothes. and then walked th,
streets in search OF work lie had
gone from under hts fathers roof a.
tally without money He inquired ut
the Lancaster avenue stores for e.,
plovmcnt but nowhere did he fini any
ENCOURAGEMENT
In the evening be- was tired ont and
disheartenet. Then he met George n
Giddes. a boy one year his senior.
The boys were walking down Ian.
caster avenue. when they saw two ,rl.
ployes OF the park trolley. who were
on their way home la front az thcrl
Harold proposed that they waylay TIE
two men. He had revolver with
him.
Jones and Giddcs wore chums. an
so far as tho police now know. neither
had ever before done a criminal ac,
Indeed. such noviccs were they as
highway robbers that when Joncs
pointed his revolver al the trolley CON
ductors. Giddes. frightened. took 10 his
heels. which SO unstrung Jones taqt
he too. ran. once. perhaps more il
fear than with courage. Jones turn ID
upon his pursuers and fired n shot
Seeing one of the policemen stumble
the lad doubtless thought that he had
added 20 his first crime the more ter
rihle one OF murder. IL was than that
the boy placed the revolver against his
breast. pulled the trigger and pitched
10 the street. dead
The dead boys father. John W
Jones. is in the souvenir-card business
and is also Interested in several
amusement places Of the moving pic
ture variety in West Philadelphia.
Giddes was placed under arrest and
held In $1,000 bail.