The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-12
AGED Fifteen
BUT A BURGLAR
Young Negro Boy Had Five
Bottles Of Cocaine in His
Possession.
CARRIED PISTOL
Is Suspected Of Having Robbed
Purcell, Laid & Co.--Brcaks
Mothers Heart.

with five bottles OF cocaine in hta
coat pocket, loaded 3s-calibre Iycr.
johnson, revolver on his hip, So and
sonc small change in his trouscrs'
pocket. and q small brass watch, VIII
lliA IL. Muse Jr, a fifteen year-otd
coiored boy, was last night arrested by
Detective Sergeant Wiltshire in
house in College Alley. where was
found dri1nmer's sntchel containing
about dozen more bottles, large and
small OF cocaine. The boy was ar
rested on the technical charge OF
carrying Il concealed weapon and be-
ing suspicious character. behind
which lies the charge of breaking into
the wholesale drug store OF Purcell,
Laid y Co.. and stealing thcrcfrom the
satchel and $40 or $25 WORTH Of
cocaine, all of which was bottled.
The drug store was entered OF an
early hour Saturday night and the
burglary was discovered by Policeman
Tucker, who reported the matter Ia
the First Police station. 1nyestiga-
ton was Immediately begun Saturday
night, ana last night was continued
by Sergeant Wiltshire, who within the
short coursc OF half an hour. had
landed the suspected crirnInal ana
locked him up in the First Police Sta
tion.
The boy WAC well dressed In a black
suit ana patent leather shoes. and
seemed - have the air Of a.man OF
the world. He dlscluimed having
stolen the cocaine. and said that 1t
had been given to him by another man.
whom lie named.
When arrested. however. tie boy
was going into the house on College
Street, where the cocaine had been
left, ana il is thought that Nc was Oh
his way 10 get fnrther supply u
sell. Sergeant Wiltshire Was waiting
in a dark room for the boy, and nabbed
him as he entered.
When searched the boy was found
to have a key, besides all the other
things, In his possession. 1t is thought
that he entered the drug store with
this key. II not. he must have been
in the place before 1t was closed for
the night
William said that he would disclose
all If he were taken before his mother.
He lives at No. 1903 Ross Street, where
he, was carried by Sergeant Wiltshirs
and Policeman Smith.
When the mother of the boy, heard
of his wrongdoing, she was nearly
Frustrated, and her grief seemed to
know no bounds. She fell on her knees
sobbing and praying, and all the ef-
loEtS Of HsI filuSDsiu anu i1SI olIleF son
could not comfort her. when confront
ed by his weeping mother, william
tried to relieve her grief He wiped her
tears, but they flowed afresh. The boy
himself began to sob. as his father
sternly reproached him for having
brought the family into disgrace. Every
effort was made to induce him to con-
fess. He would say only that the
cocaine had been given him by another
man and that he was guiltlcss Of its
theft.
The mother nut her arms around
him and beth wept together, The boy.
however, could not be. changed from
his story.
Both parents seem to be honest, up-
right, hard working negroes, They
stated that the boy had beer led off
by others older than himself. They
had tried II, every way TO induce him
TO give up his evil companions, but
~ out avail The police suspect that
Q FRS are mixed up in the affair. and
they VIII make every effort TO lind
and convict them.