The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-26
POLICE JOTTINGS.
Sixteen Year Old Boy Thief Is
Apprehended.
Blames His Downfall on Stories
of EX-COnVict.
STOLE A SHOTGUN.
This Was Followed by Various
Other Thefts.
Orville Richardson Will Prob
ably Go to Reform School

Young boy thieves are bothering the
police to such an extent that the de-
tectives are kept constantly on the
lookout for these lads and several nys-
teries have been revealed in the last
few days.
The latest case of Orvil1e Richard
son has been one of the most i'm
portant. Orville has been accused and
has admitted the theft of a shotgun
from the Fullerton Sporting Goods
store and a lot of pulleys, tackles, etc,
from the canning factory. About
three weeks ago Fullertons reported
that a young 16-year-oId boy had rent
ed gun from them and had never re-
turned it. The police detectives were
put on the trail and they found that
the boy, Orville Richardson, had rent
ed the gun and the next day sold it to
Payne Brothers. The next day the
canning factory reported the loss of a
bunch of ropes, pulleys, etc, which
they had been using in loading ma
terial into the wagons from the factory
platform. This theft was also found
to be connected with the Richardson
lad as he had stopped work at the fac
tory the evening before the theft. He
sold the stuff the next morning to
Kansas avenue second hand store.
The boy was hunted for two weeks
and at last found in Newton, Kansas,
where he was in hiding with a bunch
of police at Newton was notified twice
of the presence of the boy in his city
but he disregarded the letters and
made no effort to capture the young
thief.
Last night the boy was located in
North Topeka by Detective Al Hopkins
and he was placed under arrest at
once. He admitted all of the thefts
to the detective and was before Judge
Urny this morning. On investigation
it was found that he was but 16 years
of age and the police court had no
jurisdiction over him. He will be bound
over to the juvenile court at once.
There is a little nature story behind
the thefts committed by the boy. He
had to quit school two years ago In
order that he might work and help
his father keep the family in bread
and sleep. For almost two years he
worked faithfully and was never known
to steal or acquire any bad habits. He
was we'll liked and was thought to be
a well meaning youth by all who
knew him. But not long ago while
working at the canning factory he fell
overlooking with crookedness and
crime. He took the young lad into
his tolls and by his hair raising tales
of how money could be made with
out work and with nothing but little
inside knowledge on the art of "pur-
Joining" he took advantage of the
youthful imagination and Richardson
fell. His first trick was to rent the
gun and then steal from the factory.
He told the State Journal reporter
this morning that he did not really
need the money and he knew he was
not doing right by making the thefts
but some way or other the tales of
the ex-convict had gained control of
his more evil nature and the KEEP
tomaniac fever swept over him.
The detectives are under the i'm
preston that they have other com
plants against the boy which are we'll |
founded and his list of thefts are
probably much larger. He will be |
thoroughly investigated in the juve- |
nile court.
]. Stanley Twyford, now assistant |
county attorney in Oklahoma Civ