The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-26

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urged ea by feadlng questions by his
/ lawyer. Walter Rogefs-Deuwi, But he
needed little spurring
" am twenty-nine years old" ne
began. II cannot remember Uuca
about NV infant days. of course. I
recall Cannonsburw-~my home in
Michigan. near Grand Rapids was
( born there. Il must have been about
my sixth or seventh year that start
/ ed 10 school. I did little chores
around the farm, and listened to my
father at nights, He is a good man.
better than ! was 10 be, Later !
vas able TO do more work on the
farm, but I didn't do Il. | sh;rhed.
4 saaened 90 avoid work. As carly
. 90 can remember / dfd the petsiest
things to avoid my share Of the work,
Was Never Honest.
: Il vas fourteen years old when I
went to Grand Rapids to attend high
Sraocl Z Was never honest / was
using my brains generally. on schemes
I tat woaid les !ns avoid hard work.
Nay wits wore keen. | cheated always
at school stole examination pa
( pers by climbing up the fire escape
into The professors etgay
/ Il worked when was at high
school. started when ! was four
teen t. Helg WrpoIt myself while
studying. vented to Get somewhere.
4 Nas ,il,..jloas enough Hut ! was
nos H5g'st. stole papers when /
worked FOR the Grand Rapids Herald
as neNsboy and sold them. Rather
! petty, Certainly
Il had stolen nothing before that
cNrent 1T home had stolen from
my father and mother, my brothers
aHd sisters. They lid not say much
about it. one" father took me aside
and talked TO nae. lie told me that
small beginnings such as this led to
big end.ngs--bad end1ugs,
Il listened and believed. For awhile
was good. / was young and I was
contrite. ! was very sorry aHd really
made an effort to lie better
During the summer vacations at
1 high school i worked, l worked in
"a hardware store. / stole little sums.
! The owner OF the store caught me
and discharged me, He talked to me
like my father had done,
Continued His Thefts.
Then / Went to work In a grocery
store. | used to steal stuff from the
store, take II with me in a delivery
wagon ana sell it. ! was caught and
! discharged Somehow the thefts we're
made good. My father did it, / guess
Then / began to work for COM
mission house. There ] stole. But
again | was caught / was fired
Somehow nothing happened 70 re-
tard me. ! simply went to another
commission house In Grand Rapids
next door to the first There again
! stole and there again / was fred
/ could not help stealing, IL seemed
l was eighteen when / started to Ann
Arbor to enter the University OF Mich
irttt, was 10 he the btg man or
the family, 1t was long ago decided
that | was to be a dentist. 1t was
n three years course. ! was TO work
and father. was to give me what he
cnGia.
But there asafn cheated kept
It up Just the same, All that | had
been taught and all that I knew aid
not help nae. I stole the work that
the other men had done. store
books, stamps. money, Instruments,
gold. l cheated at cards. 1t con
tinued oil during my college course.
There was Eeckwith. took 800
from him once II was In his trunk.
had seen II there. He was ont The
trunk was unlocked. | took tho mon
e7------ used 10 steal from any Of Tire
men who left money around. I was
accused Of this
u don't recall the circumstances
but I do recall that sometime later
l confessed stealing the money.
Then there WAC Davis. the store
keeper for whom worked up In
+. Nackinac. To he sure I stole from
him. | stole several hundred dollars
from Davis
"Of course, I was caught, always
, was I was accused. It was UP to MI
, to make good well. I ha(rth s2oC
and gave him that AS matter o.
, fact, that 1890 was his and wa,
giving him money that belonged Il
him I stole that. too. from him hu
he did not know II at the time
Fl was "a member of fraternity n
Ann Arbor. ] was expelled IN my sec
ond year, but was reinstated In ml
senior year"
Recent Events.
Waite went on tn tell of a serie
Of petty thefts Coming down TO NOR
: recent events. ne said
) I'm July. 1911, left Grand Rapid
for Europe. I took NV Ann Arho
l credentials with me and my untver
sity papers, I knew that with Brit
ish college credentials l could ge
work with the firm of Bridreman {
Wellman the big dental firm tina
: had contract work for the Soutl
African colonies. So I made suc1
changes in my credentials from Amer
lea that would permit mo TO get Il
Glasgow University, the course re
duced from six to three months
was to be paid thirteen pounds Ant
a 1--WE per cent commission a month
for the first year, and this was Il
gradually increase. ny steps of twi
pounds and a one per cent increas
In commissions, During my last yea
/ was getting about $500 n month.
steal Oh. yes, The first yea
I had little opportunity to steal much
Maybe II was $500 All that year
, stayed in Cape Town. ] was accused
OF unprofessional conduct few times
was accused Of flirting. and so on
Caught Again.
TT was late in 1914 that I lief
Cape Town Tor London Tho com
pauy had detected my thefts, and
gave them what money | had anC
surrendered my motor car to square
~ rat Aa v,thi -