Arizona republican., 1917-02-03
VALLEY YOUTHS ARE JAILED FUR
 b0LD ROBBERY
George Harmon Together with John Croft Charged
 with Plan to Rob Gam bling Den in Juarez City


 Plots to hold up the Casino, large and prosperous gambling hall in Juar- ez, Mexico, across the Rio Grande from El Paso. and plans for several other big jobs" matched by youthful bandits in Phoenix. have been discov- cred in the Pass city. As a result, George Harmon and John Croft, both formerly of the Salt River valley, are in the Fl Paso jail and the police and sheriff are seeking several other mem bers of a gang to which the two youths are alleged to have belonged. Croft is believed to have been rne leader of the gang
 Both Groff and Harmon worked for several months on the Huffranch near Tempe. Croft was foreman on the ranch and Harmon was employed as, a general ranch hand. The two became intimate through close association in the hours when they were rot work ing, and finally, about ten days ago, left the Salt River valley for Fl Paso with plot arranged for holding up the Casino and for several other highway attempts. They were apprehended in Fl Paso Monday night and Tuesday morning and word of their capture was made public when attempts to capture others of the band failed yesterday.
 Harmon, the younger of the two and not much more than IS years old, was taken into custody Monday night fol- lowing an attempt to hold up the Shel- don Hotel Jewelry store, while two scores of people stood within few yards of the establishment and the lobby of the hotel vas filled with guests According to the police, he has confessed his part in this robbery. Groff fell into the hands of the police, later. when it Was discovered that he had gone to Fl Paso in company of Harmon and that the two had rooms in the sheldon hotel He was identified later, the police say, as a lookout who was seen in the jewelry store at the time the robbery was being committed
 The plots against the Casino in Juarez as arranged by Croft. Harmon and the remainder of their confeder- ates, say the police failed because of the bath riots at she international bridge on last Sunday when traffic between the two border cities was halt ed for whole day The same riots caused the clositg of the gambling houses and other results in the Mexi- can city. Sunday had been chosen by the youthful bandits for their plans because of the large crowds which fre- adCht tlt HouScS ana tDe enormous sums which are risked on this occasion.
 Failing in their plans ot replenish their finances through this largest plot, declare the police. the bandits were forced to turn their attention to smaller loot Accordingly. say the con- tesslons of the youths handed to the Fl Paso police, the Sheldon jewelry store was singled out for robbery Croft told the police that Harmon bungled the job at the Sheldon. He said he had planned running the place few minutes after Harmon had suc- ceeded in backing the clerk into the vault but that the youthful bandit en- tered the store too soon and the plan failed.
 Groff's statement Of the matching of the plots in the Salt River valley and H5rnon's statement given prior to that of his confederate were made pub lie by the Fl Paso police. They follow.
 T, John Croft, after first being duly warned that any statement l may make at this time will be used against me. and further stase tnat this state ment is made of my own free will and accord, make the following statement to Captain L. L. Hall of the Fl paso police department:
 
 George Harmon to the police in Fl Paso since last September. He came to the Huff ranch, near Tempe, Ariz., where I was foreman. He worked there under me about four months.
 "A man and l were in the barn one day talking over a job. ard this George Harmon overheard us and came to me l and told about hearing us; then he began telling me about some jobs he had pulled off in and around San Diego. Off and on, we talked about holdups, and the kid 0ieorge Harmon) was talking about wanting to be Q 1 holdup man. At first 1 tried to dis courage him, but he kept on saying l that he wanted to go. 1 did not plan l anything with him, put when I got ready to come to Fl Paso he said he wanted to come with me, and I allowed him to come along. We did not plan any i thing until after we got here. I want 1 to change the above statement. We had 1 planned job, but I had not told the i kid where we were 5o.ng to hold ui' 1 My plan was to hold up the gambling l game at Juarez. as 1 was over rnert