The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-02-21
BOY THIEVES WISE
BEYOND THEIR YEARS
STORIES TOLD AT HEARING OPENED
THE EYES OF THE AUTHORITIES
FOUR BOYS NOW IMPLICATED
Post Office Inspsctor Came Here Monday
ard Had Hearing Before Judge
Rite or Tuesday

| ~ Say tnnt INC olHCtrb ana audience
present at the hearings held upon the
boys accused Of ritiing the mail In the
Crystal Falls post office were surpris-
cd is putting 1t mildly: they were
astounded, not alone at the amount OF
the thievery but at the cunning ex-
hibited by the young rascals in their
depredations.
The first session was held on Monday
evening at the post Office. Inspector
Schlaback being chief interogator with
the parents and guardians of the boys.
Judge Rite and County Agent O'Brien
present.
The boys couldn't stand the gaff.
They commenced to tell on one anothe
and as soon as one squealed, the game
was mp for all then started to cough
up'', one vieing with the other as to
who could tell the most.
Soon hints of other boys being in
volyed came out and finally the name
OF Peter Cidulka. the son OF Polish
resident at the Great Western mine,
came out Deputy Sheriff Keast was
found and he went to the Great West
ern location at midnight and got the
little fellow ont of his bed. He is
but III years old and had been led
astray by assooiating with bad boys.
He protested his innocense at first
but the other boys didn't propose to
Uaf
out TO hang some of the offenses upon
him. Finally he wilted and acknow-
legged his guilt.
Then "a big boy who lives in Maple
Grove" was mentioned as another who
had been guilty of stealing mail. Joe
Oleshosky, who seemed to have been
the leader Of the gang, said that he
didn't know his name but. ~ can go
up TO school tomorrow and pick him
out -
! The cunning OF the kids IN as
tonishing In order to shield the boy
! working the combination from view
of those outside. one would stand
back OF him and spread out his coat so
as to shield him. They would watch
aud when any post Office patron lett
his keys hanging In his box door. as
frequently happens. they would take
charge OF the keys. note the box num-
ber and then they were fixed. Most
of the combinations we're secured by
watching the children OF box owners
open their boxes They had book In
which the combinations were written
down and when the book was not mt
hand they wrote the combinations on
the wall of the post Office. Several are
in evidence there, now that they have
been pointed out by the boys.
Their search was for money Checks
they knew they couldn't cash without
being caught so they invariably de-
stroyed them. Their principal haul
was from packages sent by parcels post.
So many articles were secured in
that way that we cannot begin 10 mem
ton all of them. One boy had six
dollar-watches. A gold watch worth
about $50 was sold for 80 A pair of
rubbers which came by mail to Mrs,
W. H. Jobe was taken and, no market
being found, the boys threw them
away.
Alex d. Rogers, register of deeds.
was one of the principal sufferers Mr..
Rogers mail is very important ~
many valuable deeds are sent him.
How many of such have been thrown
away 10y the boys Is not known and il
may be that. some future time will
witness serious complications because
of the interference by these boys with
Mr. Rogers mail He is making
great effort 10 ascertain all documents
sent him for registry so that any miss
ing one may be supplied In many
cases the boys stuffed the mail in
through the catch basins into the
sewer.
! Things got to souh pass with Mr..
Rogers that he went TO Postmaster
Ball and they determined 10 change
the combination on his box to see II
that would stop the loss Of mail. Joe.
IN telling of this said. "we tried
that box and found that IL wouIdn't
open Then we got suspicious that
someone was onto us 40 we stopped
for a time Postmaster Ball stationed
himself In position 90 that he could
observe al that went on through 4
crack IN the door for week or two
after Mr.. Rogers combination was
changed but there was nJthing doing.