The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-20
Youth Tells Story
of Auto Experiences.
Travelled, Wichita to Topeka,
With Friend "John Smith,"
HE WAS DESERTED HERE
Given $50 and Told To Drive
Car on to Kansas City.
HE WAS DESERTED HERE
"Eriend" Disappeared-and at
Same Time Another Ford.

Fred johnson. 10 years old. who
Lzwas arrested two weeks ago in To-
peka charged with stealing Ford
car in Wichita belonging to A. e.
Barry, of Conway Springs, was bound
over to the district court for trial fol-
lowing his preliminary hearing in the
court of Topeka this morning before
Judge Lee. Johnson's bond was set
at $500.
The story told by the johnson boy
on the witness stand this morning and
| the stories he told the police follow
| ing his arrest, according to their testi-
When arrested in North Topeka by
Patrolman Kennedy for speeding and
running without a license tag. he told
| the officer, according to the latter's
testimony, that the car belonged to
him and that his home was in Ell
Dorado. The license tag had been
stolen, he said.
| Sheriff Larimer, Police Sergeant
Wonderly and Augustine Alba, plain
! clothes man, insist that johnson had
told them conflicting stories.
/ According to the story told by john
son himself on the witness stand. he
was waiting under the viaduct on East
| Douglas street in Wichita for train,
when a man whom he said he had
worked with about a week in the har-
|
| of John Smith came along and asked
him if he would like to go to Kansas
City. johnson said he demurred on
| the grounds that he had only about
| 81 but said that Johnson assured him
that the trip would cost him nothing.
That was about 4 o'clock in the after
noon.
About o'clock Smith came back
in a Ford car and Johnson said he got
in and they started for Kansas City.
| They arrived in Emporia about IL
| o'clock that night and johnson slept
| in a car in the garage. Next morning,
he says, he decided to go on home.
He said he lives at Kingman, Kan.
At restaurant where he went for
breakfast, he met Smith again, and
the latter, he says. induced him to
stay with him. He insists that he had
no suspicion that the car had been
stolen but supposed 1t belonged to
Smith. However, he poticed at EN-
poria that the tool box and license tag
were missing.
Paid Him to Go to Kansas City.
The couple arrived in Topeka about
1880 o'clock that morning. Then,
johnson said, Smith handeS him a
$40 bill and told him to take the car
to Eleventh and Baltimore streets in
Kansas City. 1t was not until about 4
o'clock in the afternoon that John
son started out to find his way to
AdlSdS lily anu was arrested Dy
Patrolman Kennedy for speeding.
A few hours after Smith had left
Johnson. another Ford car belonging
to man living near Meriden was
stolen in Topeka. johnson disclaims
any knowledge of this affair. PATROL
man Kennedy testified that he saw
johnson pass along the avenue as he
was standing by the Union Pacific
depot in North Topeka and that he
Jumped into taxi and followed him
Several blocks farther on, he says, a
Ford car had stopped and it's driver
was putting on a new tire. johnson
had also stopped. he says, and was
talking to the driver of the disabled
Ford. Kennedy paid no attention tc
the other car, but placed johnson un-
der arrest for speeding and brought
him to the police station.
1t was here that johnson told the
officers that man in Wichita had
given him $40 to drive the car to Kan
sas City. The officers called the secre-
tary of state, found out that A. E. Bar
ry, of Conway Springs We the owner
linen they called the owner and learn
ed that the car had been stolen. AL
bert Miller, state motorcycle police
man. said he noticed the man in the
Ford car afterward seen by Kennedy
in North Topeka, driving down Jack
as given by johnson, the description
of the man Kennedy had seen and the
t description Albert Miller gave, col.
: Elaborated.
s Johnson's father and mother, Mr.
e and Mrs. o. G. johnson of Kingman
$ were on hand at the trial and testified
e as to their boys honesty. They testi
fled that he had never been ARRESTED
: or become involved in any trouble be
:, fore. Both were badly broken up ovel
n the trouble the young man has gotter
= into.