Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-07-29
BOY BURGLARS AND
MOTHER SENTENCED
Mystery Surrounding Robberies In
Morris and Other Towns Solved
In Trials Here This Week

Albin Smith, 10 years old, Charles
Leach Is years, and Elson Munger II
years brought to Morris charged with
burglary in the third degree of the
Selleseth store at Norcross on Novem-
ber 10, plead guilty in district
court before Judge S. A. Flaherty
Monday afternoon. All three were
sentenced to the State Reformatory
at st. Cloud for terms not fixed bl the
court, but which the law prescribes
shall not exceed five years. George
Munger 20 years, and Rose Munger,
Al years, mother of Elson and George
Munger pleaded guilty to the offence
of knowingly receiving stolen goods.
The son was sentenced to a term not
to exceed three years at the State
ReformatOry and the mother was
given fine of $3.50 or in default Of
payment four months in the common
Jail of Grant county: All five SEN
fenced live near Norcross.
With the arrest and conviction Of
these five the mystery surrounding
large number of robberies which took
place in this territory at Morris,
Elbow Lake, Tintah and Norcross is
apparently solved. Elson and George
Munger lived with their mother who
is widow on farm a mile and
half northwest of Norcross. Mrs.
Munger has four younger children at
home. Neither the Munger boys nor
young Smith or Leach looked like
hardened criminals. The mother who
had gray hair and looked more than
middle aged wept bitterly after the
sentences were pronounced. Both
! Smith and Leach are of mixed blood,
part Indian and part English.
The exposure is reported to have
come about through the suspicious of
an officer in Wisconsin who was on
the trail of small robberies. Among
other things he learned that some
suitcases had been left with certain
individual with instructions to hold
until he was Informed where to ship
them. The officer opened the suit
case and found quantity of goods
that had been stolen from the immed-
late neighborhood. He then waited
for the thieves to claim stolen prop
erty. When telegraph message
arrived from Norcross he went to
), Grant county and started proceedings
to have the boys arrested. Upon
questioning it was learned that the
boys were wanted in Grant county
, for more robbery than they had done
in Wisconsin, and the boys stood
. accused with no less than eight small
; burglaries in town in this vicinity.
, The places included the Weum
r Store, Morris, Beck & Sons general
r store, Norcross, Ole Selleseth general
store Norcross, Farmers Restaurant,
r Norcross, Wells He1geson and Wells,
, Olson & Company general store and
hardware store in the same building
at Herman and R.H. Cross general
? store at Tintah.
1t was at the Munger farm that
Sheriff F. A. Zahl and Alex Romstad
of the Weum Belverud Company re-
covered about $500 worth of the
goods stolen the night of July g.
t It is understood that the four
2 young children of Rose Munger will
r be taken care of by relatives who live
at Aitkin or in the vicinity. Their
r mother was given the lightest SEN
tence possible under the law.
l. R. T. Stromme, county attorney OF
:. Grant county appeared on behalf OF
the state and e. J. Scofield
), represented the defendants. Others
who came to Morris with the boys
and the mother are Oscar Hanson
! sheriff of Grant county, Charles Cater
of Herman, Mr.. Laastuen, deputy
: sheriff and L. G. Johnson clerk OF
Il district court