The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-07-25
Mary Whyte Tells Unusual Story
in Court This Morning on
Plea of Guilty
MUST co TO REFORM SCHOOL
Girl Fourteen Years Gives Details of
Conspiracy To Rob Stores in Ke-
nosha Which Worked for
More Than a Year

SObblng as If her heart would break
Mary Whyte, fourteen year old girl
sat in the witness chair in Justice
McCarron's Court this morning and
told the story of rather remarkab BILE
conspiracy to rob the stores of Ke-
nosha aud for more than a year, in
accordance with the story told by the
Whyte girl, this gang of shop filters
has been getting hundreds of dollars
worth Of goods. The girl was ar
raigned IN Court on charge of petty
larceny and was released with a fine
of ten dollars and costs with the un-
Outstanding that she would tell the
whole truth in regard to the continued
thefts. The girl stated that she had
been employed in the Fisher store
and that a the request of certain
women she had repeatedly stolen
things from the store. Her opera
tions we're not confined to the Fisher
company with Josephine Rochnowski,
girl also of tender age, she had in.
vaded other stores and had taken
many articles.
According to her story Mrs. Pauline
Rochnowski, who is now under bonds
for trial in the Circuit Court, was the
head of the conspiracy to rob the
stores. AS soon as the Whyte girl
went to work in the Fisher store she
claimed that Mrs. Rochnowski had
tn
arrangements to have her steal arti-
cles from the store. Mrs. Rochnowski,
according to the story of the girl,
would go to the store and select some
article which she particularly wanted
and that the Whyte girl would then
secure the articles and take them to
the home of Mrs. Rochnowski. 1t was
stated that the woman had a regular
place where the stolen goods we're
kept, and that for months thefts were
carried on without even the members
of the family getting any evidence of
the conspiracy.
After the Fisher store had been
robbed the gang began to work on
other stores, and the Rochnowski girl,
who is daughter of the woman al
legged to be at the head of the con-
spiracy, was pressed into service, and
she with the Whyte girl went to the
various stores. The police recovered
more than $500 worth of stolen goods
and it is claimed by the officers that
this is but small portion of the
fo1y
It is declared by the police force
that the property stolen had been sold
not only to stores in Kenosha, but to
stores in other cities, and it is posi-.
BILE that before the Rochnowski case
is tried in the Circuit Court evidence
will be secured by which certain men
in the city will be arrested on similar
charges.
Josephine Rochnowski was ar
raigned on the same charge as the
Whyte girl but when she was told to
tell the truth in regard to the affair
she told story of such fancifu1
nature that the officials declared that
she was studiously evading the truth.
She was fine $40 and costs and the
fine was paid This afternoon Dis.
trict Attorney Baker made an applica-
ton to have both of the girls sent to
the state reform school at Milwaukee
and they will undoubtedly be taken
to the institution within a short time.
The Whyte girl is strange study
for the officials. She admits that the
Rocknowski woman rcf 9ated1y prom
iso1 her money but little was ever
paid to her and Notwithstanding the
fact that she admits taking hundreds
of articles not one of them was ever
taken to her own home. The girl has
promised to come to Kenosha and ap-
pear ia Circuit Court against the
other members of the gang when the
cases are called for trial at the Sep
TENDER term.