Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-27
DEADLY WEAPONS LOOT
OF THREE SMALL BOYS
OF MURDER SQUAD"
Police Say Prisoners, Ranging
From 13 to Is Years, Con-
fessed Robbing Stores of
Pistols and Knives
PROFESSIONAL METHODS

| Confession of n series of daring rob
| berries of hardware stores and Chinese
laundres in West Philadelphia by band
| OF small boys, who called themselves
| the Murder Squad" was wrung today by
| detectives from three youths at the 39th
street and Lancaster avenue station
The boys under arrest are William Bird
| Is years old, $50 Union street; Eugene En-
mis-, 10 years old, III Union street, and
William Shanahan, 13 years old, 1851 Mar
kct street. They are being held for n
hearing in the House of Detention. \
warrant has been issued for the arrest
of n fourth boy, and 1t is expected that
others will be taken into custody The
arrests clear up Il number of robhercs
of hardware stores in the West Philade-
phia section which have baffled the police
for several weeks
LIKE PROFESSIONALS"
The boys, the police say, went about
their work with the instinct and daring
of professionals. Their method. it Is
alleged, was to station themselves in
front of the display window of n pawn
shop at night Then when n trolley car
or u subway train was passing, the
police say, one of the boys would smash
n hole in the window with piece of iron
pipe.
The rumble of the subway train or
trolley would drown the crash of glass,
and the boys, it is alleged, would reach in
through the window and grab all articles
within their reach. The youths. the police
alleEe. had n tendency to steal rcvOlvers,
and it is stated that they obtained about
% of these weapons from the windows of
pawnshops. These the boys sold. it is
said, to persons in their neghborhOods.
Some of the revolvers have been recov-
cred.
BOWIE KNIFE BETRAYS BAND.
The bOastfulness of one of the members
of the murder squad" brought about the
arrest of the boys.
Policeman Mooney, of the Goth street
and Lancaster avenue police station,
started conversation with Bird and
Ennis at 10th and Market streets. Mooney
had no suspicion of the boys until Bird
drew n large bowie knife from under
meath his red sweater and said boast
fully:
Look at the edge on that knife; amt
1t sharp"
The policeman took the knife and eX-
amined 1t curiOusly.
mighty good knife" he commented,
where did you get it?''
Young Bird looked uncomfortable,
stammered, and finally said:
"Oh a feller | know gave it to me.
have always wanted such knife. for |
have read a lot how the cowboys carry
them out West"
- GU DONS llhu DtlltI tplllt dlOlB Win
me" said Mooney, and he took them to |
the station. There, after being questioned |
by Detectives Shannon and Harbfdge, !
they confessed to robbing the hardware |
stores of William Herman, 37lS Market .
street. and William Midway. 1929 Lam
caster avenue. They implicated Shana-
han. and the detectives went to his home,
routed him out of bed and took him to
the station. The police say they are GER
tain that the boys are responsible for
the looting of the pawnshop OF Herman
swift, 63d street and Woodland avenue.
The same method Of smashing the dis
play window was employed at that place,
The police state that the members of
the "Nmrder Squad" would watch
Chinese laundry until the proprietor de-
narted to Chinatown or some other place,
and then they would bring their iron pipe
into play and break the window Then
if is alleged, they would raise the window
and loot the place.