HOW TRAIN ROBBERS WERE TAKEN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9548, 21 July 1909, Page 7

HOW TRAIN ROBBERS WERE TAKEN.

Developments on May 29th in the sensational Union Pacific train robbing case show that the capture of the supposed robbers was due to nothing else than the love of c small boy for all sorts of odds and ends for which he has no use whatever, says a San Francisco paper. Having picked up the first clues through the means of schoolboys, the police utilised them in preparing a capture, and it is due entirely to these small boys that the men are in gaol. John Krolik, aschoolboy, passing a pile of rubbish, saw a leather string, seized it, gave a pull and a holster containing an automatic pistol was dragged from the pile. Another schoolboy came to class kicking a hat before him. The teacher asked concerning the hat ar.d was told of the pii-tol also. She notified '.he police and a trap was laid in case of the return of the men who had hidden the weapon. A dozen small boys were set playing all near the scene, with instructions to watch for strange men. One boy was to leave the crowd and telephone the police if the men appeared. The boys carried out their instructions, and thus the three men "were caught. For their worK in this way, the first two boys will come in ikin'B share of the reward, which now aggregates £15,000. It is believed the boys will each receive £2,000, the balance going to the police fund and the school teacher who notified the police. One boy is°less than 14 years, the other being eight. Their parents are Bohemians and ail work in the packing house in South Omaha. The evidence adduced is considered by the officers as being conclusive of the guilt of the men under arrest. The strongest bit of evidence against them consists of a number of mutilated bills found in their possession. Other evidence against them is the positive identification by the engineer and fireman of the looted train.