The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-19
BATTLE Of BOYS
REVEALS RObbER|ES
YOUTHS CAPTURED IN ASHLAND
APPEAR TO BE MUCH
SOUGHT GEM THIEVES.
THEY ACCUSE "FAGIN"
BECkNER AND MEyIN DECLARE
THEY DISPOSED or YALUABLES
TO w. LoNZo AND POLICE
ARREST HIM.

SAhNnNSA AAAh"
Two boys--Charles Beckuer, four
teen. and John Nevin, fifteen years
old-rock battling the pupils of the
Ashland high school yesterday morn
ing led to their own arrest and the
arrest of two other boys-Harvey
Farley, sixteen, and Jesse Parker, fif-
teep--and of w. Lonzo, ffty-four
years old, an alleged fence" for stolen
jewelry. and to the uncovering the po-
lice believe. of wholesale robberles
which have been pulling the de-
partment for nearly two months
The five prisoners are charged now
merely with being suspicious charac-
tiers, but As soon as Detective Sergeant
Wiltshire and Detective Gentry. who
made the arrests. have been able to
identify the jewelry and find the own
ers. specifis warrants will be sworn
out against all.
The value of the jewelry which has
been stolen within the last two months
from office buildings alone, will
amount 80 more than $500, the de-
tectiyes say; and about 5000 worth
was recovered by them last night.
Young Woman Robbed.
The last theft was reported to de-
teCtive headquarters on Monday,
when Miss Hermaine DeNoss Moore.
who has an Office in the Travellers
Building. complained that She had
been robbed of a IS gold piece, sew
eral other coins and quantity of
valuable jewelry.
Money and jewelry were in her
purse. which also contained the key
to the strong box she kept in the
office.
Jesse Parker said that the key was
left in the purse. and that the purse
had been placed in a brass journal
of freight car, which is now on its
way West.
They Go to Ashland.
Beckner and Nevin went to Ashland
on SATURDAY. and procured board and
lodging Yesterday morning they
went by the Ashland high school dur
ing recess time, and engaged in a
battle Of rocks with the pupils, in
which the latter seemed to fare the
worse. Carl Meyberg and Edward
Lane, who were passing at the time
attempted TO stop the fight, and Mey-
berg, was stabbed in the back by
Beckner
The. wound was not serious. but
both boys were arrested. and locked
up. Several pieces Of iewelrv were
found on Nevin, and Mayor Ellis tele-
phoned to Captain McMahon at .
O'Clock. asking him If The boys were
wanted here. Believing that the boys
Were responsible for the fewelry
thefts, Captain Mcmahon detailed
Sergeant Wiltshire and Detective Cen
try to so TO Ashland and bring the
bows back.
Mayor Drops Charge.
Mayor Ellis dropped the charge
against the boys there, and they
were brought back and locked up in
the First station. On the return trip
the two are alleged to have confessed
to the detectives. and implicated
Farley and Parker. They said that
they had disposed Of most of their
booty to Lonzo, a clairvoyant of $40
East Marshall street, who, IT is al
legged, they found always ready to
buy.
The detectives FASTENED Mt once to
Lonzo's building house, and, finding
him out, waited for him He was ar
rested just in front of the house. and
according to the two detectives. was
regular walking storehouse of jewel
| ry, the value Of which will probably
reach 5000. Among other things they
found on him a chain which is believ-
ed TO be the property of Russell S.
Stiff, who recently reported that his
office in the Travellers building had
been robbed and that he had last a
watch and chain valued at $3.50,
Police Find Jewelry.
Another valuable watch and many
other pieces of jewelry were found
on Lonzo AT first, 1t is said, he stated
that the jewelry was his own prop
erty. Later he refused to talk. To
ewspapermen he said that he occa-
slonaiy' gave the boys money with
which to buy something to eat, and
that they, to show their gratitude.
would occasionally present him with
little gifts, such as a cigar case with
a doctors name on it, TO which / paid
not attention"
Lon2o said that he was formerly a
salesman. He came to Richmond
about two years ago and set himself
up as a paimist on Fifth street He
declared that he didn't hand out any
/ lake stuff, only the real article" He
declared that he was innocent of anv
wrong doing, and that, if the tewelry
We're stolen. he didn't know anything
about it, He took his arrest calmly.
NO specific charge was lodged against
hlm, though Sergeant Wiltshire and
Detective Gentry Identified some of
the 1ewelry ne had in his possession,
ana he VIII be held for examination
as 10 MS past record and as to his
transactions in Richmond
Where the Boys Live.
Charles Beckner who has been in
trouble before, lives on the Seven
Pines car line. John Nevin lives at
2lo9 NJ street Harvey Farley, whose
home is at 212l M street, and Jesse
Parker. who lives at 90S North TWEEN
ty-hfth street were arrested in their
homes and taken out of their beds
Farley said that he had engaged
in but one Job, while the other three
are alleged to have worked together
Their main objective was always of
nee buildings, which they are said to
have robbed consistently. Numerous
people have suffered, and reports of
Office thefts have drjbbled into police
headquarters for more than two
months, Detectives Invariably an
swered the calls Immediately, but in
every instance the thieves had disap-
peared leaving no trail behind them.