Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-15
BOYS FORCED TO
RETURN POULTRY
BAND OF YOUTHFUL CHICKEN
THIEVES BROKEN UP
DISAPPEARANCE OF BLoODED
FOWLS EXPLAINED
Five Lads of Assorted CoIors Respon-
sbe for Numerous Depreda-
tions in Western Part of
Los Angeles

"Ah'n tell YOU, If you catch a
chicken by the throat and hold him
tight till you get, him in the bag he'll
never squawk."
That was the professional dope
handed out by one of the band of boys
who have been making systematic
raids on the owners of valuable prize
bantams and ground tumbler pigeons
on Harvard boulevard, Brighton and
Halldale avenues, and the residence
district along West Jefferson street,
when he was cornered by Private
Watchman Love of 1887 West Thirty
fifth street and officer Earl Busse of
the University station and made to
confess and disgorge.
Most of the valuable bantams and
prize pigeons have been returned by
the boys. In that way they escaped
arrest and punishment. But it is said
that many fowl of coarser grain, not
wanted by the boy bandits in their
select collection, was gathered in by
a downtown poultry dealer and sold
by the pound.
The boys implicated in the raids are
Martin Allen, II years old, white boy,
living at 1877 West Thirty-siXth street;
Clarence Coffin, a negro lad, 13 years
old, living at 1421 West Thirty fifth
street; Lawrence Knight, sometimes
called Luther" a negro, II years old.
living at 1417 West Thirty-fifth place
and Edward Carlton, II years old, a.
white lad, living at 1927 West Thirty
fifth place, and fifth boy, Clifton
Cloyd, IA years old.
Depredaticns Extensive
The depredations of this boy band,
before it was captured, had the pOul-
try fanciers of the southwest section
guessing. Bantam after bantam dis
appeared. Pigeons with real blue
blood were missing in the morning.
In one instance a portable house that
was used as resting place for fowls
with pedigrees was gathered up, chick
ems, portable house. pedigrees and all,
and carried off. In this last stunt it
took the lads two days to make clear
getaway but they got the house and
its inmates several blocks away from
the owners home the first night and
carted the chickens away the second,
leaving the somewhat original hencoop
in a vacant lot, empty.
For many days the police worked on
the case and Night Watchman Love
was kept busy F. v. Gordon of 2SO1
Hobart boulevard missed six valuable
bantams These have been returned.
c. r. Campbell of 2S17 Harvard bou-
cons. These have been returned.
Mrs. Mary E. BlackmaD, 261S Hall
dale avenue, first lost a number of
valuable pigeons. Some were returned
after the boys confessed. She also had
seven prize bantams that were being
groomed and caressed and put into
trim to send to the Phoenix fair. The
boy fanciers got five of the pigeons.
The other two went to Phoenix and
took prizes. After the confession It
was discovered that each of the five
members of the boy gang had one of
the prize bantams in his possession
and the birds were sent back home.
They are valued at S25 a pair.
Homing Pigeons Leave Home
Will Salter of 2913 Brighton avenue
was the owner of twenty-five pairs of
homing pigeons. They have disap-
peared. and the disappearance is laid
at the door of the youngsters.
But the prize act of the youthful
thieves was what they did to H. ].
Brainerd of 1926 Halldale avenue, the
Portable House Man" Mr.. Brainerd
had a portable house in his back yard
that he used as home for nine val
liable chickens. One morning recently
Mr.. Brainerd woke up and his portable
chicken coop had been deported. It
was found later-minus it's erstwhile
inmates-about two blocks from the
Brainerd back yard in a vacant lot.
Luther Knight and Clarence Coffin
have admitted they deported the port
able hencoop, but denied to the officers
they knew anything about the chick
ems.
The denouement of the whole affair
came when Watchman Love and Po-
liceman Busse found one of the negro
lads shining up a telephone pole. He
had thrown his cap into a yard below
and he was ordered to come down and
explain his peculiar actions.
"Ah wasn't fXin' to steal nothin'."
whimpered the boy when he reached
the ground.
This put the officers on the scent and
they questioned the lad. The confess
sion followed The other boys were
rounded up and the return of the
stolen property was made-as much
of it as the boys had seen fit to keep.
Many rabbits in the same district
have been stolen recently. The police
believe this work has been done by
another band of boys which has been
working in touch with the blooded
poultry fanciers.