The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-11-15
BOY OF TENDER
YEARS TELLS OF
MANY CRIMES
Conrad l. eOnaE ed, 13, Was
Cracksman OF Slot
Machines.
HIS TASTE IN JIBTMYS
WAS HARD TO PLEASE
Gas Meters, Gum Machines
And Stores His Speciality.

Thfrteen-years-oId Conrad Leonard
Of 56s Bostwick avenue, past master
of petty larceny and burglar Of no
mean ability.
Immature in the ways Of crime only
in years, the police claim that in his
| capture they have rounded I'D the
one responsible for a chain Of gas
meter '.jobs." gum machine bursiaries
and attempted store breaks that has
been puzzling for several months. Also
one of the cleverest and most success
ruI operatives rounded up for a long
time. His tender years make his ca
reer even more fctfon1iIxe. But re
completed a confession to Captain
of Detectives George H. Arnold this
morning that made the veteran sIet1th
gasp. Police theory has been that
gang of out=of-the-city crooks has
been responsible.
Conrad, student at the whittier
school days and, Raffles nights .zd-
nfts no less than seven breaks into
gas meters, at least one lob at the
railroad station, when ss5 was taken
from the Eastern News Co.'S stand
several store attempts and a number
OF gum machines. He had become an
expert in breaking open gas metsrs-
cracking them with one blow fr1ne
small Jimmy that he had made By a
trouser pockets. One, made hy a Vveef
End blacksmith, did not suit him and
he threw it into Cedar Creek he
also says that he WIS in the Tin
| Bridge woods In Fairfield October
taking pot shots at the trsinmFn e.
passing freights with an air rife. An
other mystery is cleared up throrfaH
his confession In that he says thar
he cut, the circular hole In the SHOW
window of Lans's pawnshop on Water
street months ago. The breaking
open of the gas meter in Isaac Bern
STEMS barber shop on state street
two in less than a month. have been
credited to him through his ecufes-
sion. He also admits having tackled
Vincent Bros grocery store next to
the Third precinct police station.
Election night was taken as ia
vorable opportunity for him and ne
says that he attempted entrance into
Matt Mafoney's saloon on Park ave
nue.. tried to break into a grocery
store on State street and a fruit store
on Fairfield avenue and then opened
a gum machine with a key.
His arrest was made yesterday az
ternoon at the whittier school BY De
tective Sergeant Peter H. Hall and De
tective George F. Simon OF police
headquarters following information
given by Railroad Policeman J. J.
OBrien. In the morning he skipped
school after hearing that two frfeuda.
Stephen Pataky of 80 Davis street
and Albert Fatal<a of TAG Ellsworth
street had been arrested on railroad
property with an air rifle in their pos
session. They were committed to the
Reform School and then placed on pro-
baton in city court yesterday. It f.
not known that they had any part
in the 'burglaries. He returned to
school in the afternoon The police
traced him with difficulty as, amone
his companions, he went by the name
of John Cooney'
He was arraigned before Judge
Frank L. Wilder in city court this
morning and sentenced to the Reform
School Judgment was suspended In
order to try and have him placed in
the George Junior Republic at Itch
field If unable to secure this ad-
mission, the Reform School sentence
will be enforced.