The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-28
SAME OLD STORY
OF Youth Who Tries to Live Be-
yond His Means.
Herman Thompson, Also of New
York, Latest Victim.
HE LOVED A MAID
And Stole Jswelry in Order to
60 the Gait.
Fleming, Land CRATER, Protests
His Innocence.

Another prisoner is added to the in
1ux of young New Workers who have
come to Topeka and fell into similar
temptation and crime. Herman Thomp-
son. 10 years old, driver for the Cros-
by's Brothers dry goods store, is the
last He came from Poughkeepsie, N.
Y. Like others he stole to keep up ap-
pearances before the girl with whom he
was in love- Like others he is but 10
years old. Always they give that age
though some have been found to be
older
Thompson is the fifth or sixth within
the last four months-to fall into the
exact catalogue-from New York, IN
some poor paying position, deeply in
love in debt as far as possible, and
descending further down the line to
forgery, embezzlement, theft, prison.
1t is uniformly the hope of these to
win a reformatory sentence by plesl1ing
guilty instead of standing trial and run
the chance of going to the penitenttary.
Chas. Wirth of Utica, N. y was the
last victim of a Topeka girls attrac-
tiveness. 1t was when he appeared be-
fore Judge Dana of the district court
with a reformatory sentence recon-
mended by the county attorney that
the judge called halt.
There had been too many" said the
judge. "who are coming into Topeka
from the eastern states-all young men
who have quickly fallen into crime"
He refused the reformatory sentence
and few days ago Wirth was sent to
the penitentiary.
Thompson worked first on the stock
farm of Emil Leopold near Tecumseh
The farmer is rich and Thompson had
a good home and was trusted but he
was paid only $25 a month. He fell in
love with Miss Marie Isis and found
his wages too little to do the gallant
act properly, so he secured employment
in the city.
But in order to hit the town with the
proper dignity he needed funds and be-
fore he left the farm he entered the
room of Mr.. and Mrs. Leopold, taking
diamond stud diamond ring, and
some ear rings, all valued at over $780,
The stud, Thompson told the police, he
sold to a travelling musician for $35.
The ring of Mrs. Leopold he traded d
pawn broker for two suits of clothes
and IS. He said he could do no good
with the ear rings so threw them away.
Thompson is an orphan boy, Mr.. Leo
pold told the officers yesterday. Wirth
was also an orphan. Thompson had
been intrusted with large sums of
money by his employer and had never
taken a cent before. Wirth treated the
customers of Baumgardner, the under
taker with the utmost politeness and
was intrusted with collection when sud-
denly he embezzled a large amount
which he could not repay.
Thompson was taken out of the
hands of the police by a warrant from
the county charging him with larceny
from a dwelling house and locked in
the county Jail. He was granted an i'm
mediate hearing in the court of Topeka
but waived and was bound over to the
district court-precisely the same ac-
ton always taken in the cases of this
kind.
TITS the strangest thing in the
world,'' said County Attorney ]. J.
Schenck this morning, that these fell
lows, all the same age, come in here
from the same localities, commit the
sentence. I have never seen one yet
who did not give his age as 1872
William Fleming. the land CRATER
caught in Kansas City, was brought to
Topeka last night by Deputy Sheriff
Judkins and locked in the county Jail.
After a sweating given him this morn
ing the county attorney decided the
prosecution would be for the forgery
of abstracts and deeds.
Ushered into the parlor cell, the old
man of 10 years, seemed hardly able
to walk and leaned heavily on a stout
cane. AS he seated himself and turn
ed. it was seen he had but one eye and
that was aided by pair of brass rim
med glasses. His gray hair was I'M
kept and his mustache was long
but did not suffice to hide the rivulet
of tobacco juice which trickled down
into his neglected beard of several
days growth.
why did 1 run away?" he replied
when questioned, 9TH tell you. MUIR
ply came to me and said that the Of
ficers were looking for him and me.
1 had done nothing wrong, but was
into trouble and I thought the best
thing I could do was to avoid the Of
fcers. 1 am poor man and doing