The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-03
WHEELING YOUTH
ATTEMPTS H0LDUP
USED TOY PISTOL IN REAL WEST
ERIN FASHION ON A
NEIGHBOR.
Captured BY Those He Tried to Rob, Ae
Is Under Charge Of PROBATION
Officer.

rather pathetic case happened the
other day in Wheeling. according 10
Probation Officer Frazier. MIR. FRAZIER
said, when talking 10 representative or
the Intelligenccr. You sec. this pistol:
as he picked up little toy revolver
from his desk. and demonstrated us
power, or rather. lack OF power 10 shoot'
| We'll, it. was the central interest III Ill
attempted robbery the Saturday before
Christmas.
l. "A youth Of the city who had been
INDUCED from childhood by his parents.
and who had in later years grown 20
inhahlt Dnol rooms snd worse places.
and whj, had Il good position with well
known firm, lost this position through
ncglecting the business OF the firm, ana
on account Of his unrel!ability. He was
afraid TO tell HIS parents. and having
been used to money which he needed
in order to indulge his ASSIGN for gam
bling etc. decidcd he would have to use
other means tn obtain the wherewlthal.
"He at first did this very carefully.
occa sionally taking some valuable orna-
! ment from his home and pawning II.
them deliberately stealing whenever the
opportunity presented itself. II finally
came to such a point that the parents
decided 10 have the police on the job.
as the losses grew very apparent never
dreaming that their doted-on son was
the thief.
Then the lad. who is bu. seventeen
years of age, grew desperate. and nae
10 take desperate means. I1o ohta1ned
this little toy pistol and masking MIN
self, entered the home Of y man whom nc
knew possessed money. Throw up your
hands he said. Tho man instead OF
complying grapplcd with the youth. and
liam in IL,
scufrlc. ran dnwu tn his assistance. To-
grthcr they ovcrpowcrcd him-ha IL
some husky buy--and called The police.
Then they found that the weapon was
harmless, ana that the lad was MINOR
| They turned him over TO the Juvenile
conrt. and the hoy r. once more Tree,
under certain conditions.
These conditions are that he shall re-
port tn Probation officer Frazier. and
| that his parents shall know where h"
is all the time. Of course. III" family,
who are well known in Wheeling. could
not believe il AT first until confronted
! with the evidence and the confession OF
the boy himself. Then they were well
nigh heart broken.
The hoy gave his reasons frankly. He
said that he had I" have money 10 loaf
around" with Ihr companions with
whom he had been going. and Ia hold
TN his end" He had been allowed Il
great deal of rope. but was afraid that
! his liberty would h" curtailrd if he
asked them for more money than they
supposed II" had hrcn getting. When he
stayed out nights. spending them mt
| questionable resorts he claimed he w2S
| with some rhun " other and the adnr-
! Ing parents never questioned his
NCracily
He had evidently "rcn reading novels
| If cheap adventure. and hit upon this
method If nhtuiuIne Whit his heart
cravrd. II" did not intend to hurt any
one So TOOK little toy. pistol in prefer
rnrc IN one with which III might even
accidentally kill someone. Tut" con-
tIuucd Mr.. Frazier. What would havr
happened had either rf Tho men whom
he attacked been :irI.i"i" The hoy would
n I'LL probability been killed or at least
wounded"
This story is being told as Il warning
: IL parents in general to exercise a
greater deGrr" of care in regard 10
!:unwing wh"r" their boys arc and what
:hEy are doing ALSO with whom they
ar" spending their TIM. Boys who arc
INDUCED in cnildhonH :Ir, prone tn wan
de- in wrong paths wien they grow to
young manhood. Had il not been for
the fact thar this young man was II
minor. tho smallest sentence he would
hay" rar"ivrd would haze been ten
years.