Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-09
LEVIN JOHNSON IS
Ex0NERATEO ON
CHARGES OF THEFT
Local eaksry Wagon Driver
Proves HE Innocence in New
Castle Mavter.
rloweLL BOY IS HELD

AZ hearing In New Castle mi,
msrnsnG before Mayor w. I~slie
CtAm~r. f~vin Johnson II Wilmington
driver for the Frcihcfcr Baking Co.
accused W larceny by some New Castle
s'"rrkserers, WAS cxonerated from all
sn'', aud his companion. James It'd
Wei IN" lo-ycnr-old son of Mr.. and
Mf~. sylvester Tidwcll. who pleaded
xuilt,, was held for Juvenile Court
David '. R,lnhardi II Wilmington rep
resented Johnson and oross-examined
the witnesses
T'dw"il. who was tho frat 20 tes-
wy, admitted. immediately upon taxi
ins tho stand. that he had stolen a
number OF articles. but placed the
b'amc for rcversi ~ his thefts on
johnson. llo declared that somc time
ago ne took fruit cake from the
ssots of John +. Y. Clayton. on John
cons suggestion. who. he said. wished
'o give u to girl acquaintance. He
claimed that he gave the cak. TO
johnson. who had suggested at various
tim.s that hc steal other articles from
l"cal stores. especially that OF Mrs
William uehhardt.
IN rddifion to various other thefts
rerr"t'sted in tho past few month";.
INCLUDING tho stealing Of three pounds
"' hutt"r from tho store of Mrs. Geb-
fHru' 1idwnll confessed 10 having
stolen quantity OF sugar from the
'hild- Co. two years ago. and dis
posed ~ II among local srocers. THE
proceeds from tho saic. he said, was
srert by him.
When johnson was called 70 the
stand. he Immediately denied knowl-
edsc OF the thcrt OF the fruit cake.
ot other articlca lilo said that he
Knew nothing whatever about any OF
IN" thcftS. which the hoy admitted.
except the stealing OF tho butter last
Friday. iie said that Tidwcll confess
"a so NM that ne had stolen Il shortly
effsr both wcrc accused.
johnson testified that ne had been In
'h~ employ of tho Frelhofer Co. ror
'he past six years. hu, had mover be-
'"'e he'n arrested or even accused OF
any wrong doing. Tho ridwen boy had
accompanied aim on h.s round. for
IN" past year, he said. bat the articles
which tho former has admitted steal
Johnson hns pe~N covering hts pres
en' route. which includes. New Castle
ana Vicinity. Tor the past four years.
snd since that time has made many
friends. Several OF these cams 10 the
in"'ot's onice this morning and ,esti-
Ned In his behalf.
Edwin V. riai', James {. King u
II. HAin~e. erocers OF this city. ana
Thomas J. Durap Of sos South Head
street. Wilmington. were among those
that vouched for John~on's honesty
Tke erocera stated tha, their stores
esd been visited regularly for the past
sour years by johnson. and fhev had
never found reason 10 doubt his homes
~. Many ;inacs. they stated. con.ia-
cradle suns OF money and other ar
tirio~ had been left unmatched In
p'rccs convenient % the bread recent
soNs OF their respective stores. but
'hsi nothing had ever been touched
i"hnSon was arrested last Friday
evening by Policeman William Palmer
on a warrant sworn out by Mrs. VII.
Ham Gchhardt. He and his companion
worc given a hearing Saturday morn
Ing n tho mayors Office, both being
held under $500 ball for this morn
inSs hearing. Today the johnson case
was dismissed.
~ II expected that young Tidwell
VII be g'vcn another hearing in the
Juvenile Court IN the near future. and
= sentence pronounced. No date has
been announced for such a hearing as
yet He 70 etill being held under ssoo
which was furnished by his father