Evening journal., 1914-07-02
Hobbies Of THE
BREAD BOX Thief
Gang, Is NABBED
Charles Webster Says He
and Others Went on
Early-mOrn Raids
DIVIDED EATS IN
BRANDYWINE PARK House

For the past four weeks many resi-
dents OF the section bordering the east
ern portion OF Brandywine Park have
been missing milk bottles from their
front steps, bread boxes in front ot
stores have been broken and rided of
their contents and dairies have been
entered and quantities of milk stolen.
, The mysterious thefts have puzzled the
, police officers, who have been on the
lookout for the marauders, but their
quest was unsuccessful until carly yes
terday morning, when the arrest OF
q l7-year-old boy, known among his com
panions as "Hobbles" and whose real
q name is Charles Webster, gave them
clue which will enable them TO break
, up the thieving.
, Hobbies" had been an inmate OF the
! Ferris Industrial School and was re-
leased on parole several months ago,
. When arrested early yesterday in the
act of stealing milk from the dairy
of Charles H. Griffith. Thirteenth and
West streets. the boy made an astound-
: ing confession, in which he stated that
= a gang" OF five boys who have been
~ making their headquarters at night in
: the brick outbuilding by the side Of
i Brandvwine bridge, at Market street,
y have been making raids on neighboring
q stores and dwellings before daylight
in which they secured enough food TO
= last them through the day. lie also ad-
mitted that he had attempted TO enter
IT several houses to rob them.
The capture of Hobbies" was the
y result of a trap laid by John p. Crit
fifth. father of Charles Griffith, the
! milk dealer. Early last Sunday morn
!! ing. before o'clock he left the
dairy with a number of milk bottles
to serve nearby houses. He left the
y. door of the dairy unlocked, and as he
" walked up Thirteenth street he no.
- - ticed a boy lurking in the shadow Of
- a doorway The suspicious actions Of
~ the boy caused Mr.. Griffith 10 take
~ particular notice OF his face, as wei
as he could in the darkness, as h'
= passed. When he returned TO th'
80 dairy a short time later. Griffith no
ticed that the boy had disappearel
al and also two quart bottles Of cream
a. and a quart bottle Of milk had gone
ne Believing that the success Of hi
OF frst venture would cause the youni
IL thief TO return. Mr. Griffith decide,
e. To say nothing about it but TO keel
his eve open for him in the future
at His watching was rewarded early yes
at terday morning when. as he was leav
th ing the place. he noticed youthful
ne form dart into a nearby alley H
n proceeded on his way as though h
IL Intended to deliver his milk as usual
IT but instead of that he hunted up 20
lice officer John Purcell. and, Wit
", him. returned TO the dairy, wher
Ist they caught the boy as he was takin
Is a bottle of milk.
es When he saw that he was cornere
a the boy broke down and made
clean breast of his intention.
co was watching you" he said TO Nj
he Griffith, "and when yOu went out
p came in here to swipe more milk
sr- The boy stated that his name wa
de Webster. but that he was bette
M known as Hobbies" He state
III that he was a member cf gang
he which consisted of five boys, an
on that they made their headquartei
in the brick outbuilding at th
Erandywine bridge. He said thu
he and his companions arose eac
morning about 2.30 o'clock, and star
,h, cd out in different directions throug
itv the city to "swipe" Whatever the
aiv could find They made a specialt
no he said, of stealing milk bottles an
"a breaking into bread boxes. He sa
-, this thieving had been going on f
a. o. more than four weeks
''e Hobbies" explained that VIII,
-. each boy secured a load of 100
~ they would return TO the outbuildir
r'a in the park where it would all
nat put together and be divided even
na1 among them.
be- The boy said ne broke into the b.
W. OF Smiths grocery store, at Delawa
las avenue and jefferson street. some tin
ied, ago and stole a lot OF cinnamon bur
zed which he had shared with his compa
of ions "Hobbles" said that in one
AR stance he tried to break into a hou
on French street, and had entered I
front door and was Just opening {
. vestibule door when the woman W
do. lived in the house caught him. He
In capped however. On another occasi
dav he attempted 10 enter house IN
arts across the street from the one aDo
res mentioned. lie had opened the SIN
,ar. ters and was removing the screen frC
the window when some one shouted
him and he ran away.
officer Purcell turned the young ca
> NJ. tive over to the Juvenile Court a
NJ. thorities. and as Webster was
parole from the Ferris Industr
IN. School, he was returned TO that ins
. w. tuition without a trial in court. II
one officials at the Industrial sch'
stated this morning that they wol
endeavor to find a home for him
n the country
Ill "Hobbles" gave the names Of
|t ID / confederates and the pOlice are M
on the lookout for them. AS some
CE these boys are above the age unt
which the Juvenile Court has iur
80 Il diction, they will be arraigned in
CITY Court if arrested. At any "a
the police believe that the series
So petty thefts that have annoyed
residents Of that section of the c
for the past month will end