Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-25
Mr. and Mrs, w. A, Taylor
of Minneapolis, Come to
; Help ExtriCate Hayward
Son

Mr.. and Mrs. w. A. Taylor. par
snts of Stuart Taylor, one of the
"boy bandits" arrested here last
week after robbing two Peachtree
street drug stores in startling fash
ion. reached Atlanta Monday night
from their Minneapolis home. ana
Tuesday were consulting with vari-
Gus authorities how best to cope
with the situation that had lodged
their son and Eric May, his com
panion, in the Fulton tower under
bond of $4,000 each.
Mr.. Taylor said that his princi
pal hope lay in the leniency of the
Georgia laws toward juvenile often.
be put on probation. He said the
boy was only sixteen, instead of
nineteen, as the boy stated when he
was arrested. May gave his age
as seventeen.
The Atlanta police, following
communication from the police de-
partment in Minneapolis, are in
clined to connect the boys with a
series Of handkerchief holdups" in
Minneapolis and st; Paul; in which
robbed by "a tall man and short
man." wearing handkerchief masks,
the series ending November 13. the
Minneapolis police say, which is the
have left their homes. Taylor, his
parents said, left a note informing
them that he was going to San Fran
cisco.
Letter to Mother
This note, which was the last
word the Taylors had of their son
until they heard he had been arrested
4H Atlanta a fO11nWc
Dearest Mother: Knowing that
you would not let me join the
navy, have decided to join with
Red. Received a letter from
Ralph Bartz telling about the
openings in Frisco, so we decid-
ed to go there II am not leav-
ing for any reason of treatment
at home, but because l want to
get out and because I do not
want to go, to that school any
tempt to follow me. I will try
and write to you as often as [
can safely. Please do not wor-
ry about me. because it will
only be a waste of time. With
lots of love.
The parents of young May. I'M
able to come to Atlanta, gave to
the Taylors a note left by their boy
at the same time, both having dis
appeared II Iedu'
Dear Mum: 49,
1 knew that if I asked you.
you wouldn't let me join the
navy, so l am leaving for San
Francisco tonight.
Will write to you in the very
near future. and will help you
out financially as soon as I am
in and receive my first pay.
am not doing this on account
of any bad feeling, but I think
I will get a lot of good expert
ence. and you always want to
depend on me to be ready 10
help you at any time.
s 1 sincerely hope that you will
not try and prevent this step
- am taking, as it is in your power
b. to do, as L will not acquiesce
without a struggle.
1 will write you in a day or
two and 1 will give my address
on arriving at the town 1 men
toned. 1 am going to join for
ship service, but am going in
: for air.
Your loving son, ERIC.
- Say so-long to everybody.
Mr. Taylor said he feared bad com
panionship was responsible for his
sons trouble. He said he had taken
the boy on number of business
I-lDS with MIN, TO C6dCn MIN safes
manship, and had taught him also
to play pool with him in the eve
nings. Returning to Minneapolis,
he said he had selected a pool room
and made a special request that his
son might play there occasionally,
although a minor.
"It seems 1 unwittingly picked
bad place." said the father I'm this
pool room, l understand, the boy fell
in with gamblers who taught him
n things besides pool"
a Wanted to Join Air Service
Mr.. Taylor added that his son and
Eric May seemed to have become
aerial division of the navy service;
had started for San Francisco, and,
on reaching st. Louis, had decided
to go to Florida instead, possibly to
try to enlist at one of the aerial
stations in that state.
Young Taylor embarked Sunday
when he said he couldn't Ego" the
food supplied him at police head
quarters, was effectively broken
Tuesday morning when Mrs. Taylor
produces, box of Min, Minne aapG,ds
"A delicacies. Stuart promptly demon
strated that his fast was not a mat
& ter of principle, and enjoyed square
n meal. May also came in for share,
ana DOLn boys that Iley
felt much improved afterward, and
that the world looked brighter.
Reports from Minneapolis and ST.
Paul indicate that the operations of
the mysterious handkerchief ban
dts" were amazingly bold and at
q the same time crude. 1t is said
4 they were always together, "a tall
one and short one" tn. ! never lost
4 their nerve-On occasions they closed
stores and lined up the employees and
patrons, or made them lie face down
on the floor-they robbed motorists
and pedestr decoyed taXicab
drivers to lonely spots and robbed
them, and stuck up" drug stores,
groceries and laundries with perfecr
impartiality. In one night they are
charged with seven robberies.
The departure of May and Taylor
& is said by the Minneapolis police to
4 have been coincidental with a cessa-
ton of the handkerchief holdups,"
but both the boys deny strenuously
any connection with any such opera
a tons in their home city.
HsI :r~LG paa&a ElarSr;~ ~. Cac