The Washington times., 1922-05-14

''Dapper Joe's" first pilferings
were books from the primary
school he attended. His natural
shrewdness made him clever at
such thefts and in covering up his
tracks. He sold the stolen books
to a secondhand book store-his
first fence"
BROTHER WAS BEST PAL.
But they caught him at last,
after he had given up the school
book business for a more prolific
source Of cash. He had become a
It'll Taper" at twelve, a boy rob-
Der OF the cash drawers at corner
stores. He became an inmate OF
John Worthy School. Twenty.si sixth
street and California avenue, Chi
cago. There he spent six months.
The gang met him when he was
released. and "Dapper Joe"-he
was becoming dapper by this :.sne
once again fell into his old ways.
Many the till he tapped. many the
roll" missed by its owner which
later went for glad raiment and
Joy rides for "Dapper Joe"
He didn't give up school, how
ever. The man has been a student
all his life, Of books and Of men
and women. He managed to finish
grammar school and spent one
year at Mckinley High. In addi-
ton to the ''gang-on-the-corner-
stuff" "Dapper Joe" admits TO
some nefarious political activities.
Generally he was a bad one.
Joe then went into the more
daring branch OF crime with his
brother, the best pal a man ever
had" as he characterizes John
Lauzon, who is now serving TWEEN
ty years at Joliet.
IF they get me. play a lone
hand" Joe says the older youth
told him when they entered their
safe-cracking partnership. You
know me and know you, we're
brothers and pals. Don't ever
sQueal."
II lived up to that" said Joe.
and 80 did he"
S4Il0r-od mild
reer Of over two years. John Lau-
zon. seventeen, and Joe. fourteen,
tackled Jobs" that would have
caused old hands at crime to quail.
They were desperately daring.
John had acquired the art Of blow
ing off safe doors. Young Joe's
craft was used in planning the at
tacks. Johns more mature nerve
carried them through. Between
times they were hoid-up men.
"I suppose we cracked fifty
safes around Chicago" said Dap
per joe I'VE robbed hundreds OF
stores"
The police got him again when
he was seventeen, an experienced
criminal.
"Dapper Joe" was sentenced to
from one to twenty years in the
Illinois State Reformatory. There
his intelligence and his cheerful,
magnetic personality attracted ia
vorable attention. He was pa
rolled in the custody Of Mrs. Fran
els Fredericks, head probation
officer Of woodford county. Eu-
reka, III. During his term in tho
reformatory his father died.
"Dapper Joe" didn't like Mrs.
Fredericks. she talked too much
reform and religion" he said. So
he was reparoled to a family at
Secor. Ill.
cts fierce to take a boy from
a big city and stick him in a
hlck town Of $50 people," said
Joe. So he broke parole and re-
toined his brother John.
They went through dozen
states, cracking safes and rob-
bing general merchandise stores
in country towns, and spending
their ill.gotten cash in fine
clothes and riotous living.
PLAYED" THE BIG CITIES.
Then Joe went East. playing"
the big towns" Hearing that
81, 900, his fathers insurance, was
awaiting him in Chicago. back he
went. He regrets that move II
was merely pin money. and they
grabbed him for breaking parole.
He was returned to the reforma-
tory. where he served another
year.
About this time Joe decided the
easiest way and the ono most
certain of returns, was the Jimmy
thief game He made q study