The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-07-02
CHAMPION BURGLAR
Is q Nine Year Old Girl of New
York Who Makes Amaz-
ing Confession.
LOOTED SCORES OF HOUSES
Says Woman Made Her Steal and Is
Now Held as Witness
Against Her.

-
New York. July 1--As a juvenile
burglar, little Annie Wilson, or Annie
Riley, as she prefers to call herself,
holds the record, or at least she GER
tainly would hold 1t II there was any
way Of coming anywhere near the real
amount Of her stealngs. She Is being
held by the Children's Society In
Brooklyn as a witness against Julia
Campbell accused Of receiving stolen
goods
Annie Riley Is nine years old, she
says. She can't begin to remember
how many houses she has entered and
robbed In her time. But by thinking
hard, she made sure this morning that
she had entered four or five houses ev-
cry day in Williamsburg for two
months past.
The eases of Annie and Julia Camp
bell We're the only matters Of interest
in the Lee avenue police court in VIII
liamsburg this morning, but that was
enough to fill the court room with doz-
ems and dozens Of persons who had
been robbed, they suspected, by the
little girl. They didn't care about her.
They were. just respectable folk who
came to court in the hope that they
might have a chance TO identify some
of their lost property.
Annie sat in the court room by the
rail. the only prisoner, for they kept
her grown-up companion behind doors
while the complaint papers were being
drawn up. The girl was no longer the
smiling young story teller of yester-
day. The court room. with Its space
and high ceiling, and the curious peo-
pie staring across at her scared her at
last. She sat all alone with a number
Of tall men, mostly stern old men,
court officers policemen and the like
around her
For a while she plucled at paper
fan that they had given aar, until she
had torn 1t apart. Then she ildgeted
and sulked with the end Of the folded
fan in her ugly little mouth. At last
she turned to Police Captain Cruise
who has been kind with her and cried:
Il want my papa"
your papa Is on the boat" answer
ed the police captain, and the Cir
started to cry.
Every one stared at her to sec
whether she were really crying OF
making believe. in order to get let off
But she kept II up until she was Leo
ont again. She tried to stop 1t wher
the police asked her some questions
for she knew that she had to answer
them. She held back the tears. an,
except for big sob like hiccough
she answered them quite plainly an,
to the point
She toli them how she used to ge
into houses She and her boss, Mrs
Campbell, she said. used to go gu
walking. Together? Oh. no. Half ,
block ahead went the woman, and An
ME with her toy wagon tagged wa!
behind, as II they had nothing to d,
with each other Tho woman neve
looked around and never stopped bu
when she came 10 a house that sh
wanted Annie to enter she would poln
to the area door. That Is, that's wha
the child said.
Annie could open some area doors be
cause her arm was very small other
that were picked out were open al
ready. The girl would leave her ittl
wagon, outside and run right down int
the house and out again with what wa
worth taking. Then, she said. the tw,
would resume their strange walk.
| mn tgh
morning waiting for the Judge. she beg
ged the policemen to let her 60 Blu
I'VE can't. do that" they said Whei
she saw that her tears were of no use
she cried 1t over awhile In silence, an
then had bright idea.
IN show you where we sold som
Of the things that we stole" she prom
ised She couldn't remember the nam
OF the store, but 1t was a second han
clothing store on Flushing avenue, sh
said. where they had bought lots an
lots of the silk dresses and the fur
that the girl had stolen. She Will pre-
badly be taken to see IL she can sho'
the police the store.
All this time the court had been pre-
pairing aflldavits against Mrs, Campbell
charging her with receiving stole
goods Annie was the witness, and ST.
signed her afldavits with a small ,
for she could not write her name. The
the girl and the women were led b,
fore Magistrate Hlggnbotham, al
Mrs. Campbell was held for examini
ton on July g. Annie Riley Is detail
ed as a child witness, In the care of Il
Children's society.