New-York tribune., 1919-01-06
Y outhfgzl Bandits
And Luxurious Den
Revealed to Police
Cellar Rendezvous Fitted Up
With Electrical Contri-
vances, Rugs and Well
Filled sCommissary 80

The innermost secrets of a youthful
robbers cave whose appointments
would have aroused the envy of Tom
Sawyer himself have fallen into the
hands of the police, and the bandits
themselves, as desperate a crew as
ever pillaged janitor's kitchen or
subsisted on maple syrup, cake and
candy, spent the most dismal day Of
their career yesterday on parole with
their parents. They will be arraigned
this morning in Childrcn's Court to
answer to a long list of petty burglar
les the police have compiled.
They give their names as John Stock,
fifteen years Old of 2576 Eighth Ave
nue.; Louis Booker, fourteen, Of 100
Conycnt Avenue, and Peter Lcmokes,
fourteen. of SAT Wos5 141st Street.
For months Harlem detectives have
been nlystited by series Of burglaries
in which the "outside work" was car
ried out with the deXterity of old
hands while the "inside work" de-
generated into a hunt for sweets and
such peculiar loot as bracket lamps,
carpets, half-used electric batteries,
kitchen utensils, odd lengths Of insu-
lated wire ana the like
Saturday afternoon Detectives Mil
Ter and Buckley were at l47th Street
and Seventh Avenue when they became
interested in the claborately covert
and extremely energetic conduct OF
three boys TO the detectives they
were just boys, but it was obvious that
some larger conception Of identity
actuated the mysterious individuals
themselves.
Glided From Stoop to Stoop
From their actions they might have
been Woodsmen in the dark and bloody
days OF Kentucky, brigands in Albanian
highlands or Arabs amid Saharan
dunes. They glded from the shelter
OF one stoop to that of the next in
crouching attitudes flinging glances of
eNaggerated Warlness to either side
With knitted brows and dubious shakes
Of the mead they took counsel behind
Gus sally to the next.
Tho detectives sauntorcd along on
the opposite side Of the street and saw
the desperadoes enter the basement o.
20I West 1d7th Street. occupied by
Mrs. James Gill, janitor of the build
ing. Presently they emerged in great
haste and disorder while Mrs. Gill.
armed with broom and an incXhaust-
lbl G vocabulary, strove in vain to main
tain contact with their retreat
Two Of the inglorious fugitives sped
clean out Of sight before the detectives
could get started but they managed to
catch the third, who turned out to be
Stock. He was taken to the West
l35th Street police station. where he
surrendered two ponderous keys and
the names Of Louis Booker and Peter
Lemokes.
Get Glimpse or Rendezvous
While other detectives went to the
homes OF the other boys, Miller and
buckley went to Johns home, at 1916
Eighth Avenue, and descended to the
cellar. The big keys they carried fitted
locks on the woodbin, as John had said
they would, but the door did not open.
Miller discovered q knob on the side,
Of the bin. He pulled it and the door
flew open revealing the rendezvous of
the robber band
The bin was walled and f1oored and
ceiled with heavy carpets, making it
light and sound proof. Several bracket
lamps were fixed on the walls. There
was an electric gong with tell-tale
wires running to the cellar door and