Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-30
BOY SCOUTS AID
INAPPREHENDING
ALLEGED BURGLAR

Three Atlanta youths, by the use
Of knowledge gained through their
connection with the Boy Scouts, Sun
day proved themselves good detec-
tives, and after city policemen and
others had declared there was no
clue to the identity of would-be
burglar who entered the home of j. G..
MelIichamp, 525 Piedmont avenue,
took up the chase, and succeeded in
having Jim Owens, colored, lodged in
Jail on a charge or suspicion in con-
nection with a burglary.
The youths are Emile Mellichamp,
a second class scout; Charles McCub-
bin. a tenderfoot scout, and Henry
Movers, a second class scout. They
attribute their success to the fact
that all scouts are required to learn
how to follow any kind of q trail.
The burglary was committed about
g o'clock Sunday morning, the burglar
entering the house through a front
window. but before he could secure
any booty Mr.. Mellichamp surprised
him and caused him to flee, not until
however, he had opened nre on Mr.,
MeIlichamp and had inflicted two
flesh wounds.
Mr.. Mellicbamp said he was awak-
enad nv an unusual noise in the
downstairs of his home, and lmmeol-
ateIy started to investigate. he Said
he saw the form of a man, evidently
a negro, crouched near a pig W1nuo"
on the side of the house. MI; Mettl-
chann declared the negro crashed the
class with his revolver. and then
snving him at the head of the stars
onened fire and inflicted two wounds
ono in the side and the other in MS
forehead. Neither, however, Was
serious.
After wounding Mr.. Mellichamp,
the negro jumped througn LIE ne
smashed window and disappeared IN
the darkness. ;,,o,,
The alarm was Immediately given
and the police responded, but atter
an investigation were unable TO trace
the burglar. uo,,
Sunday morning the three youths
decided to investigate for themsel-
YES. Accordingly, they went to the
smashed window and examined II
Thoroughly. Immediately outside, on
Third street, they found tiny efall
Of blood, evidently caused by cut
sustained by the burglar when ne
They followed the trail which led
them down Third to Myrtle. street
no Myrtle and across Ponce de Leon
as far as Linden street, where Ehe
trail doubled back into the backyard
Of a home on Ponce de Leon avenue
and then made it's way down Pied
mont to the corner Of Third aga1n
Across the street from the Mell1-
champ home is the Chatham Court
apartment house, and at the base
ment door the young sleuths dlscoV-
cred a pool of blood. This door was
a
through the house and down into the
basement room, where another poo
of blood was found. The former
janitor of these apartments, they
learned, was named Jim owens. put
he had, moved to the Devonshlre
across on Third street, some time
ago.
Early Sunday Charles McCubben
one of the boys, had talked with
Jim Owens and he said he notice
that Owens had bloody hand
Later Sunday the three youns
sleuths also found a slight blood
trail from the Chatham Court to the
DeVonshire.
Found in Basement
Believing Owens guilty the three
boys determined to enter the room
of Owens in the basement % the
Devonshire, where it is said they
found blood on the floor and Owens
with a cut hand. The police were
then called ana at $50 Sunday night
Owens was arrested
Owens said that he cut his finger
on a trash can belonging to apart.
ment four of the Devonshire.
In all it took the three young de-
tectives twelve hours to complete
their investigation. They were very
modest about their achievement, de-
claring that it required only an APP
plication of common sense and some
of the principles taught them by
their scout STEERS