The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-09-09
The Police Are PoWerIesS to
Do Anything With Boys
Who Cause Trouble.
JUVENILE COURT INACTIVE.
KROMA BOY, WHO is HELD IN
CONNECTION WITH A THEFT,
GIVES THE POLICE SOME VAL
uABLE INFORMATION.

Rudolph Kroma, a -thirteen-year-old
lad whose two older brothers are pris-
ouers at the Jeffersonville reformato-
ry. is a candidate for the Plainfield re-
form school Rudolph is a member of
a juvenile gang that gives the police
more trouble than all the older offend
this gang was the stealing of two dozen
bottles of beer from cold storage
plant. The boys implicated in the
theft are Rudy" Kroma. Red Bur-
den. Ching" LOTUS and Crackers
Hart After stealing the beer the lads
drank two bottles and hid the rest,
which were recovered by the police. All
the boys have been given curtain lee
lures by Chief Bailey for their latest
escapade-Kroma receiving his this
morning. 1t apparently had about as
much effect as rebuke to corpse.
The juvenile court persists in refusing
to send these boys to the reform school
so all the police can do is to lecture
them. However, Kroma is fugitive
from an Indianapolis orphanage and he
probably will be punished by sending
him back there.
In the course of his conversation
with Kroma, Chief Bailey CLEANED some
valuable information. The most i'm
portant item of information given out
by Kroma, was the fact that Dan Riley,
formerly of this city, and the most no.
torious juvenile crook in this part of
the country, was a recent visitor In
Richmond Kroma stated that while
Riley was here he saw him enter a
house in the north end of the city by
means of skeleton key. Riley secur-
ed some money and other things as mis-
loot. When Riley left town, Kroma
stated he had S33 on him. Kroma
went to Springfield, o., with Riley.
Chick Eberhardt, an ex-cowboy, and a
lad called Tough" Kroma stated
that he was shook in Springfield by
his companions. He was arrested
there after a weeks stay and returned
to Richmond The beer was stolen by
the boys before Kroma went to Spring
field.
Where is Riley now?" Chief Bailey
asked Kroma.
He went to Columbus, o., and the
police chased him out of there. |
was told that he went from Columbus
to ST Louis Kroma replied.
The first of this year Kroma went
to Scott Hiser, representative here OF
the Indianapolis orphanage, and stat.
ed he wanted to get job in the coun-
try Hiser told him that he would
send him to the Indianapolis orphan
age and that the officials there would
get him a place to work. How long
will it take? Kroma asked. Maybe
two days and maybe two years." Hiser
answered Kroma states that after
spending ten days at the home he got
discouraged so he and another boy
took French leave, walking all the
way from Indianapolis to Richmond.
What did you steal enroute?" asked
the chief Nothing but thermomet-
err Kroma replied. How did you
break into the cold storage to steal
the beer?" Kroma was asked. Just
like we break into a freight car" he
answered. Cracker Hart held the
lock while / broke it with stone"
ssWili some one tell me what to do
with this gang of terrible infants,
Chief Bailey laughed discouragedly.
eff they were to be sent to the Plain
field reformatory / believe they would
steal the institution. That Dan Riley
is a nice associate for them-what he
can't tell them about the fine art of
burglary is not worth knowing"