Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-08-03
YOUNGSTER BREAKS
INTO BICYCLE SHOP
Leaves Partially Burned Cigarette
With Hope OF Foolir9 Police into
Believing That Barefoot Burglar
Was on Job--Another Boy Loots
Clothing Of Swimmer.

Juvenile thieves. who operate both
BY day and night, have been giving
the police so much trouble OF late
that Detective Sergeant John w.
REYNOLDS yesterday took steps to eff
fectually break up the activity OF the
youngsters. AS result two small
white boys were hailed TO court, one
on the charge of housebrcaking, and
the other for larceny.
Lurty Miller. fifteen-year-old boy,
who has a bad record. was one OF the
Youngsters arrested and Police JUS
tice Brown ordered him held for the
Slate reform school at Laurel, Va.
Miller lived with his parents on Hunt
lngton avenue. near Thirty-third
street. and was arrested for stealing
81 In cash from Nelson Turner
another boy. Turner reported to the
police that while he was IN bathing
near the Warwick Machine Com
pany's Pier + Monday someone rlflcd
his clothes OF 81.
Money Ia Recovered.
Sergeant Reynolds went TO work on
the case and soon suspected Lurfy
Miller. He sent for the yonugster to
come To police headquarters. Miller
came yesterday mornig and after
much questioning by the sergeant he
pulled off his cap and took out three
81 bills. Sergeant Reynolds asked
him where the remaining $. was and
the youngster said that at might have
been in a piece of paper he dropped
outside of the station house. The
boy was told to get the piece OF
paper" and returning. he handed the
sergeant a small package. made up OF
the covers of match box. with the
81 inside and the entire thing held
together with rubber band. Miller
was put In the hospital department Of
the Jail and Justice Brown ordered
him held there for the reformatory
authorities.
Al first the police were enclined to
give Miller a chance, but upon look
Ing up his record with the two local
telegraph companies, by which he was
employed as a messenger boy, they
became convinced that he was a con-
firmed thief. The managers OF both
telegraph offices reported that they
had blacklisted the youngster be-
cause he had a habit Of stealing
money and stamps in any Office to
which he was sent to deliver tele-
grams.
Emmett NJ. Witt, fifteen years old,
of 1906 Washington avenue, who Is
employed by the Postal Telegraph
Company as a messenger boy was the
other hoy arrested yesterday and he
is charged with housebreakiEg. II Is
alleged that the youngster broke into
Abbe's bicycle shop last week and
stole several dollars worth of stun, in
GLIDING parts of bicycles.
Sergeant Reynolds went to work on
the case when the robbery was first
discovered. He found partially
burned cigarette on the window sill in
the shop, the robber evidently leav-
ing |: there with the hopes of foot
ing the police into believing that the
barefoot burglar" bad pulled the
Job" II developed that the keys to
the shop had suddenly disappeared
on the day preceding the robbery and
Sergeant Reynolds began trailing the
keys.
After much work, the sergeant ar
rested young Witt and the boy con
fessed to the robbery. So lar as the
police know this is the youngster's
first offense and. as he helps TO sup.
port HE widowed mother, Il is more
than probable that the V)y will he
severely lectured and given another
chance as both Sergeant Reynolds
and Justice Brown do not believe In
putting boys either in Jail or the re-
form school. Witt is 10 get q hearing
f01aw