The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-01-20
CAPTURED BY YARD CLERK
AND TURNED OVER TO POLICE
~@
''ny moffett, 10 Years Old, Who Fiq-
urea IN Normal College Street Car
"o'o up Year Ago, Held to An
swsr Charses-A. p. West, Another
'sysar-old Boy, Makes the Arrest.

discovered while trying to burglar
lie the big safe in the freight Offices
of the Mississippi Central shortly be-
fore last midnight lrby Moffett,
nineteen-year-old youngster, well
known in Hattiesburg, was arrested,
dlsarmed, and turned over to the DO
lice, singlehanded, by A. P. West, an
other nineteen-year-old boy who is
yard clerk for the railroad company.
y Moffett is locked up in the City Jail
n on the technical charge of carrying
concealed and dangerous weapons. He
will appear in Police Court tomorrow
morning at $50 o'clock. Counsel ap-
peared for him today and at their re-
quest and that of the Mississippi Cen
tral, Mayor Batson continued the case.
The attempted burglary was full of
thrills, as described by young West,
who is better known as Peanut West
to the younger set of Hattiesburg.
West had returned from the freight
yards shortly before midnight, when
he noticed light burning in the cash
iers office he said this morning, He
walked into the office building, and
peered through the glass doors.
Discovers Burglar.
There saw man kneeling on the
floor before the safe he continued.
81 thought it was the cashier, and
opened the door and took step in,
Then saw that the figure on the floor
before me was a strange one. hap
pened to have a pistol in my pocket,
and as quickly as l could get hold
of It, had it out, and covered the
agure, which, by this time, had discov-
I'm my presence.
II shouted Hands up and his hands
f@eat up. then recognized Morett.
n 81 told him to keep his hands up,
and TO make not a move or | would
" blov his block off. He evidently be-
r lieyed me, for he held his arms up
ward, until had taken his pistol from
[ him I then marched him over In the
corner near the telephone, where l
made him stand facing me while
\ telephoned the agent, Mr.. Fields.
| "Mr. Fields came down In a few
minutes, and the two of US took Mot
a fett over to Police Headquarters and
I'd turned him over to the police"
n A .3s caliber revolver, which young
Nh( West said was harmless, owing to the
taI fact that it couldn't be fired; screw
N| driver and a pair Of pliers were taken
ths from Motfett.
n The safe was badly damaged, al
7 Nhhough ]. c. Fields the agent, told the
T bol,ce that he thought 1t would have
haen impossible for the young burglar
~ have succeeded in getting into it
II "Motfett told me-" West said how
Eoi ysr that if he had been given thirey
1fo1 minutes, he would have succeed
I lTA in breaking into the safe"
'No attempt was made to blow the
III stee, safe, and no explosives OF any
{tEld were found on the prisoner
WI Pleads Fer Release
sest says the boy made piui'i
IN Sor his release "He tried e'e,'
f.~,p the world to get away he
i,a "He first wanted to shake hands
fESb me- and took a step or two TO-
4,a ma Nothing doing l said'
Sns,ns away He then en-, wanted al orereost '@ sG
Fne lid to have left there l wouian
7 ''us a,v r,n this. He then began cry,
me'e a,ngs that it would break MS
mean'' cart to know he had been
. non,s i felt it my duty to the ran
woman INV to keep him under ar
did so. / did feel little
y !. the boy.
kklv admif that he was
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