Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-20
'8-YEAR-OLD LAD
IS REAL BURGLAR
Harold Smith, Resident of Hill
District, Carries Out Three
Bold Thefts.
STEALS OVER $50 Cash
Arrested on Street at O'clock in the
Mornine-Piaeed on Probation
by Matron.

Harold Smith. an accomplished bur
glar despite the fact that he is but
eight years Of age, was today placed
on probation by Police Matron Schroe-
der. He will be watched over care
fully in the future and at the first sign
Of backsliding, he will be arrested and
cent away to the boys training school
at st. Charles.
Harold's ability to get away with
thefts is remarkable. In three weeks
he succeeded in stealing over $50 in
three different jobs and though sus-
pected each time and arrested once,
he successfully avoided prosecution.
He was finally arrested at o'clock
Thursday morning when he was found
out alone on the street. From that
time until this noon he was kept in
jail
STOLE woMAN'S PURSE.
About three weeks ago on a Satur-
day night, Harold went to the home
Of a neighbor in the vicinity of his
home at Thirty-ftfh street and
Twelfth avenue, and asked permission
to spend the night there as there was
no one at home at his house The lady
| granted the request. Early in the
morning she awoke and at once
| thought of having left a purse con.
tanning $40 on a table. She hurried to
the table and found that the purse
was missing. The boy was also gone
though frolL window she saw him
hurrying away In the distance. He
boarded car and went to Moline. On
the way the conductor took his three
cents carefare out of $40 bill which
the lad presented. The conductors
suspicious were aroused and he noti-
| fed the police of the incident. They
arrested the youngster but he was not
prosecuted.
ROBS BARBER SHOP.
Harolds next venture in crime was
theft of IS from his own mother.
Again he escaped unpublished. His
third and boldest robbery occurred
last Monday. He went into a barber
shop at Thirtieth street and Four
teenth avenue and when the proprietor
stepped out for an instant, Harold
tapped the TILL taking $3.50. When
the proprietor returned he suspected
that all was not right as he mistrusted
| the lad. When he walked towards
the cash register, the lad hurriedly
announced, 81 haven't taken any
money" and then managed to escape
before the fact that there had been
a theft was established.
SPENT NIGHTS OUTDOORS.
According to the boy he has not
been home at night since Monday
Where he spent the nights he does not
say, but Thursday morning at z
o'clock he was found on the streets
near his home and turned over to the
police. He didn't like being in jail
and he expressed himself in no un
certain terms. 1t was found on in
vestigation that he had spent the
money he stole at the barber shop in
purchasing a pipe and tobacco and j
magic lantern. Last night when he
found that he was to be kept in Jail
he begged, pleaded and threatened
and finally blurted out, IF l have Il
stay here, give me a gun and I'll shoot
myself"
LIKELY YOUNGSTER.
Harold is likely youngster witt
plenty of intelligence and it is the
belief of the authorities that he can b.
saved from a life of crime by careful
attention. His parents, Mr. and Mrs
John Smith, give the lad little atten
ton as they say the time spent on hin
is wasted as he is incorrigible His
tender age, however, has secured fol
him another chance, and it is hopeC
that he will reform. Before being re
leased this noon, he was lectured bl
Mrs. Schroeder and he promised to b,
a good boy hereafter