The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-15
BOY THIEF IS SENT
To INDUSTRIAL
SCHOOL
SIMMONS STILL BLAMES
THEM MOVING PICTURES" FOR
HIS DoWNFALL-oTHER LADS
ARE PUT AWAY.

Fred Simmons. the l4-year-old lad
who entered the Banner Laundry OF
flee at No. IL Michigan-ave.. on the
night of Jan. 8. and stole valuable
coin and who blamed his downfall to
the pictures shown In Michigan,ave.
five-cent theater, was Friday morning
sentenced to the industrial school III
Lansing by Judge Rohnert. in the ju-
venile court.
1t was them moving pictures that
put II into our head" Fred said In nis
confession. Me and my chum saw
the pictures, called Two Unsuccess'
full Burglars and we thought we could
do better than they did, SO We tried
but guess We were unsuccessful.
too"
Fred has been In trouble before.
Last August he was In the juvenile
court. and when let go with instruc-
tons TO report regularly he ran away
10 Toronto. He returned to Detroit
only recently and was soon In trouble
again. His chum. Arthur Marschand,
Is now In the hands OF the police A
warrant charging him with breaking
and entering In connection with the
laundry Office job was issued Friday.
Young Simmons made his debut as
juvenile desperate when he was but
nine years old With another lad OF
about the same age he stole a team OF
horses from a farmer and kept them
for Pa hours before they were recover
ed by the police. Because of his ten
der years nothing was done with him
at that time.
Lieut.. Breault, chief of the truant
squad, knows the boy we'll and the
records in his Office show that in Feb
ruary, 1906, Fred was sentenced TO the
reform school. He was then only IL
years old. Through the intercession
Of his mother, however. the sentence
was later set aside and Fred was al
lowed to retain his liberty. The boy,
according TO Lieut. Breault. has on
more than one occasion stolen from
his parents. once rifing his mothers
dresser OF jewelry and at another time
taking his fathers revolver. Even now
a case is pending against him In the
juvenile court. He Is charged with
breaking into a Highland Park real es-
tate office.
A younger brother, Herbert, was
committed to the reform school last
summer. says Lieut.. Breault. The
boy was on probation and was requfr.
ed to make weekly reports To- the
truant officers. He reported one Sat.
urCay morning and the same evening.
II Is alleged, he looted a refrigerator
IN Il private residence, getting away
with the family's Sunday dinner. A
day or two later. the trunt officers
aver, the boy broke In the cellar OF
another house and took several cans
Of fruit and other delicacies.
shack built on vacant lot north
of Clay-ave., near the railway, In
which a gang Of young men gather.
was the real cause for the appearance
In court. Friday, of Frank Skzykowsid.
Frank stole coal for the shack. and
also assisted in the theft Of harness.
He has been out OF the Industrial
school only short time. aud will be
returned.
Give me another chance-I want to
make a man of myself" he pleaded
with the Judge, but he was informed
that he had been given several
chances. and as soon as he was llber-
ated was back at his old habits.
Julius Chapp. a chum Of Frank, will
accompany him to Lansing. julius
has been before the courts several
times.
Judge Rohnert was pleased to re-
ceive visit, Friday, from a graduate
of the court. girl Of Is years. She
came in neatly dressed. smiling sweet.
ly and shook hands heartily with the
Judge, thanking him Cor what he had
done for her. The girl has STEP
mother who neglected her until she
got into trouble. She was placed IN a
Detroit family. and made good from
the start friend informed the Judge
that her step-mother was Interfering
with her, and the Judge promised to
see that the girl Is troubled no more.