KinSource - Tale of the Week - Three Youngsters Jailed For Robbers

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The Minneapolis Journal, March 2, 1913, p. 1

THREE YOUNGSTERS JAILED FOR ROBBERS;
14-YEAR-OLD TELLS OF PLOTS AND FLIGHT.

A story of actual robbery and carefully laid plans of five Minneapolis boys to organize a desperate band of house thieves, was told by a 14-year-old boy in Central police station last night, after he learned that two other boys who were parties to the plot had been arrested in Chicago and were to be brought back.

The boy who told the story got part way to Chicago, returned to get two more boys and then, lingering to see his mother for the last time, stayed a moment too long and was trapped. The three boys will be in juvenile court tomorrow.

Fearing that their plans were about to be frustrated by the police, the three boys left Minneapolis Tuesday night. The boy held in Minneapolis said that before they left they had

Opened the door to the flat occupied by Mrs. David Bettschen, 334 East Seventeenth street, and looted the house, taking jewelry worth $250 from Mrs. Bettschen and taking $15 and a bank book from Mr. and Mrs. Walter Julian, who live in the same flat.

Planned to intimidate Mr. Julian with a hunting knife which they carried, should he attempt to stop them.

Robbed a vacant store building at Clinton avenue and Lake street and stole a pay telephone.

Wired the home of one of the boys, connecting a phone they stole from the store to the regular house phone on the first floor, so the attic could be used as a rendezvous for all of them.

Tells of Flight.

Shrewdness rarely found in old and experienced criminals was displayed by the boys in arranging their flight.

"After we had robbed the store and the house," said the boy first arrested, "we thought the police would be on our trail, so we left town on a freight train, Tuesday night, after we robbed the Bettschen flat. If we had stayed, we could have robbed half the houses in Minneapolis. People leave their keys under door mats, in mail boxes or some place outside the house, and we could find them.

"We rode on the bumpers of the train to Menomonie, Wis., and got off there to sleep and eat. A policeman arrested us, but when he started us to jail we broke and ran.

"We took a freight train and rode on the bumpers to Butler, Wis., where we got off to eat and sleep. While the boys were eating in a restaurant, I tried to steal a telephone box and the bell rang in the booth. I listened to the call and heard the La Crosse police tell the Butler police that we were wanted in Minneapolis.

Escape Second Time.

"We went on to Menomonie, Wis., and there we were arrested at the station, but we broke away from the policeman. I arranged to come back home and get two other boys, and the others caught a freight train for Chicago.

"I got here early today and waited around until 4 p.m., when I went home to get some things. I was to meet the other two boys and we were to go to St. Louis and meet the other two, and then we would all go down south to some place.

"Mother always told me that if I got into trouble it would kill her. I wanted too see how she was, for I knew she had heard of the robbery. Mother wasn't at home at first, but while I waited around she came home and found me. She called the police, and here I am.

"The only thing I am sorry about is making my mother feel so bad. This town is too slow, and I wanted to get around and see things. I guess we are in for it now."

Detectives Frank Colwell and Burt Weare, who had worked on the case for several days, arrested the one boy, and Colwell left last night for Chicago to bring back the other two.