#shopbreaker

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“Shopbreaker Jailed,” Border Cities Star. February 20, 1931. Page 06. ---- MONTREAL, Feb. 20. - Arrested on charges arising out of the same burglary for which Armand Desormeaux was sentenced to six years in St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary last week, Leo Lafontaine was yesterday given a five-year sentence by Judge Marin. A third accused, Rene Lajoie, alias Houle, was sent to jail for 15 months.

Desormeaux, Lafontaine and Lajoie were convicted of breaking into a store and stealing $800 worth of cigars, cigarettes and tobacco.

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"Gerard Lemieux Given Full Reformatory Term," Ottawa Journal. June 29, 1934. Page 2. --- His youth saved Gerard Lemieux, 20, of Montreal, from a penitentiary term, Magistrate Glenn E. Strike pointed out today as he sentenced the self-confessed shopbreaker to the maximum term in Guelph reformatory, two years definite and two d years indeterminate.

Lemieux pleaded guilty on two charges of breaking into the store of Max Feller, Limited, 156 Rideau street, and of breaking into the premises of the Ottawa Drug Company, 457 Sussex street, and stealing $336 worth of narcotic drugs.

Detective Ernest Sabourin, who caught Lemieux in the act of breaking into Feller's store, and connected him with the drug company robbery, told the court that Lemieux had directed him to caches where all the stolen drugs had been located.

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"PRINTS CONVICT MAN," Toronto Star. July 21, 1933. Page 17. ---- Montreal Youth Admits Guilt - Gets Three Years at Kingston ---- Chesterville, July 21. Found guilty of shopbreaking here on July 3, and stealing goods valued at $300, Walter Johnson, 19, of Montreal, was sentenced to three years in Kingston penitentiary by Magistrate John McCormick of Winchester. Haroid Graham, 29, said to be from British Columbia. was sentenced to 18 months definite and six months indefinite.

Johnson denied his guilt until confronted by finger-prints.

[Johnston had also been in the Industrial School, the Guelph Reformatory, the Burwash Industrial Farm, and the Perth County Jail - all before turning 19. He was convict #3125 at Kingston Penitentiary and worked in a labour gang outside. He was reported three times for misconduct. He was released January 1936.]

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"GUILTY BANDIT SENT TO PRISON FOR FOUR YEARS," Hamilton Spectator. January 10, 1934. Page 7. --- John Stewart Involved in Several Crimes ---- Frank Savoy Didn't Want Any Comment --- Asked For Sentence To Be "Quick" --- Appearing for sentence in police court this morning on two charges, of shopbreaking and theft and one of assault and robbery, John Stewart, no address, was sentenced to a total of four years in the penitentiary. On the charge of assaulting and robbing Mike Gaic, Stewart was sentenced to two years and to similar terms on the shopbreaking charges. The latter sentences will run concurrently, but consecutively to the assault and robbery count.

On the assault charge, Stewart is said to have been a companion of Walter Reece and William Creek, who are both serving jail terms for the same offence. He was arrested last week by Constable Pickup after a store on Main street east had been burgled, and later admitted having broken into another store on Ottawa street north.

"Make It Quick" "Have you anything to say before you are sentenced?" asked Magistrate Burbidge. of Frank Savoy, alias Frank Conders, who appeared for sentence on a charge of possession of a revolver which was found in his overcoat pocket when he applied for a night's lodging at the central police station.

"Make it quick," was Savoy's non-committal reply.

"When a man of your record, is found in possession of firearms, it may mean an intention to use them," said the magistrate, in sentencing the accused to one year in the common jail.

"Can't you make it two years in the penitentiary?" asked the accused.

"No," replied the magistrate, and Savoy turned towards the cells.

Wanted No Trial "I don't want to be tried anywhere," said Alexander Ritta, 365 Mary street, who was jointly charged with Joseph Cutala, 295 Catharine street north, with fighting on the street, when he was asked to elect where he would be tried. After the matter of election was explained to him, he elected to be tried by the magistrate.

A story of a row which started in a pool room on James street north on December 29 was told. It was stated that an argument started which continued on the street. After a party of men left the pool room, it appeared as though a fight would start and Cutala was said to have tried to stop it, saying that all would be arrested for fighting on the street. It was said that Ritta called Cutaia a vile name and struck him in the mouth cutting his lips. Cutala, an amateur boxer, retaliated with both hands and Ritta went to the hospital for four days. Both men were convicted and were remanded for sentence for a week on bail of $50 each.

"I want to be tried in the high court," exclaimed Ritta as he went to the cells.

In registering the conviction, Magistrate Burbidge said that, although a man had a right to defend himself, he should not retaliate. It was his duty to withdraw and take proper action through the courts. Cutaia could have charged Ritta with assault occasioning actual bodily harm which carried with it a maximum term of three years in the penitentiary. He intimated that both men would be treated alike when sentence is passed.

Had a Revolver Following complaints that a on man Beach road had a gun, Inspector Ernest May of the east-end division, and Constable Forbes went out on a search for the man. This search morning. Claude Glover, Freeman, Ont., appeared on a charge crying a loaded revolver. He claimed that he was intoxicated, and did not remember where he got the weapon. A conviction was registered and Glover was remanded a week for sentence and mental examination.

"He has gone to the northern camps," said Acting Court Clerk Eric Howell when Fred Earle failed to appear for sentence on a vagrancy charge. The case was adjourned sine die.

A further remand for sentence of one week was granted in the case of John Hurst who is awaiting sentence on charges of armed robbery arising out of the hold-ups of Albert and George Salton and a William Carroll store on the night of November 25 last.

[AL: John Stewart was 23, single, born in Paisley, Scotland, and was a 'common labourer'. He had a long criminal record - including terms at the Industrial School in Mimico, the Guelph Reformatory, and Burwash Industrial Farm, and a previous term at Kingston Penitentiary as #486. This time, he was convict #3321 at Kingston Penitentiary, and worked as a common labourer at the prison. He was transferred February 1935 to Collin's Bay Penitentiary, and released from there in early 1937 thanks to good time earned.]

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"STRANGE ACTION OF MAN WHO SAID "O.K."," Hamilton Spectator. December 5, 1933. Page 7. --- Constable Langdon Listens, Hears Noises ---- Detective Thompson Made Arrest in Cellar ---- Electing to be tried in a higher court, John Hurst, 122 Main street east, aged 28 years, was committed for trial by Magistrate Burbidge in police court this morning on a charge of shopbreaking with intent to commit an indictable offence. Constable Langdon told the court that, while he was patrolling his beat on King street west, about 12.30 o'clock this morning, he saw a man pass the Dominion store, 228 King street west, and say "O. K." This attracted his attention and he watched the man, who turned about and walked back, stopping in front of the store and saying "O.K." again. On examination he found that a cellar window had been opened, and, listening, he heard a noise. He immediately called the police station for assistance and, while he was waiting, he caught a glimpse of a man in the cellar. On the arrival of Detective Thompson with reinforcements, the place was surrounded and Detective Thompson entered the cellar and brought the accused out.

Detective Thompson stated that when he entered the cellar, he found the accused crouching in a corner. Marks, presumably made presumably with a sharp instrument, were discovered around the lock of a door leading to the upper part of the store. The officer stated he found an ice scraper in the cellar which the accused admitted having used to try to cut through the door.

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"FIVE YEARS FOR THEFTS." Toronto Globe. October 29, 1913. Page 15. --- Stratford, Oct. 28.(Special.) - Convicted of two thefts, John Kelley was this afternoon sentenced to Kingston Penitentiary for terms of five and two years to run concurrently. Kelley broke into the local agency of the Deering Harvester Company and stole a revolver, an umbrella and coat. Ho also pleaded guilty to to taking from the automobile of Dr. Ford of Shakespearen knee robe, a lady's veil and a coat. Kelley's past was against him.

[Kelley or Kelly was 50, from Scotland, a painter by trade, and had served a previous term as F-197 - he had been out of prison on parole only a few months when he was arrested and convicted again. This time he was convict #F-682 and worked in the tin and paint shop. An experienced hand and an older man, he followed the rules and was released in late 1917.]

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"George Snelgrove [bottom] and Roy Winter, [top] the two boys arrested for housebreaking recently, appeared before his honor Judge Robb and pleaded guilty. Winter was sentenced to five years and Snelgrove to four years in the Kingston penitentiary." - from the Hamilton Spectator. May 5, 1912. Page 25. ///

“Youths for the ‘Pen’,” Kingston Daily Standard. May 7, 1912. Page 08. — Two Entered The Big Portsmouth Prison This Morning. — Two Youths, aged 18 and 19, entered the penitentiary this morning. They were both in bright spirits and didn’t seem to feel their disgrace very keenly. They are looking forward to learning a trade while in the institution.

The youthful convicts are Roy Winters, five years for burglary, and George Snellgrove, four years for shop-breaking. They were brought down by Sheriff Snider, of Simcoe, and two constables, and spent part of the night at the police station.

[AL: Both young men had been in local jails several times before this, and Winters was illiterate - he would attend school inside the penitentiary. Winters was convict #F-384 and Snelgrove #F-385. Winters was reported once in September 1912 and Snelgrove oncce in February 1913 - neither serious. Both were also paroled early in their sentence - Winters in August 1913 and Snellgrove in April. The latter did come back to the penitentiary again in the 1920s.]

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"BROKE GLASS, WALL GOT $9, SUIT, 'PEN'," Toronto Star. February 9, 1943. Page 28. --- James Fox Given Two Years - Anthony Del Grande 4 Years on 7 Counts ---- HOMES ENTERED ---- "A" Police Court, at the City Hall, Magistrate Browne. "You have a long criminal record and you are not improving any." So Magistrate Browne told James H. Fox [pictured] after he pleaded guilty to two charges of shopbreaking. He was sent to Kingston penitentiary for two years.

Fox was apprehended by P.C. George McKeown in a store on Queen St. W. at 5 a.m., Feb. 4. "I was passing a clothing store when I noticed a man inside and the door locked. Investigating I found a window in a hamburger next door broken. I entered and found the wall between the two premises was smashed. I found the accused hiding in the cellar."

The constable said Fox took $9.35 from a machine in the hamburger and a suit of clothes from next door. "He was wearing the new suit and left his old one on the floor," the officer concluded.

Constable McKeown was highly commended by the court for his work in arresting the accused. Fox had nothing to say in court.

In sending Anthony Del Grande to penitentiary for four years on seven charges of receiving stolen goods Magistrate Browne said: "Your record shows that you have been pursuing a life of crime for years. Thousands of dollars worth of goods have been stolen from decent citizens and very little recovered."

Detective Art Keay, who arrested accused on Jarvis St. Jan. 23, was commended by the court. The officer was off duty when he recognized Del Grande.

Detective A. Taylor who questioned accused, said that during December and January seven homes in Toronto, Long Branch and New Toronto were entered and "several thousand dollars worth" of clothing and jewelry taken, of which "very little" had been recovered.

STOLE PLANE PARTS ---- County Police Court, at the City Hall - Magistrate Keith. Charged with stealing airplane parts from de Haviland Aircraft Co., where he was employed, Michael Babij pleaded guilty and was remanded until Feb. 12 for sentence.

Det. George Wilson. North York, said he arrested Babij leaving the plant after work. "Babij had an airplane tail wheel, hub and tire. Accused said he had taken the parts for an experiment at home to im- prove the wheel. I asked him." the

officer said, "why he did not obtain permission. He replied he did not wish to reveal his ideas for fear of not receiving proper credit."

"I have previously made tools that were adopted for use and was never credited," accused said. "My only desire is to contribute to furthering the industry in Canada."

"You are paid to do a certain job and if there is no one to whom you can go with ideas that does not justify you taking material which doesn't belong to you," Magistrate Keith said,

BROKE INTO STORE ---- "B" Police Court, at the City Hall. Magistrate McNish. Arthur Paton denied a charge of breaking into the store and home of Louis Rose, College St., and stealing a purse containing $38. He was convicted, however, and remanded until Feb. 16 for sentence at the request of Crown Counsel F. I. Malone, who pointed out accused had a record dating back to 1924.

[AL: Fox had three previous penitentiary convictions, going back to 1932. 40, divorced, a commercial labourer since his last release in 1942, he also had served nine terms in Ontario reformatories. This time around he was convict #7211 at Kingston Penitentiary, and mostly worked in the stone cutters and masons. He had three reports to his name, but earned most of his remission and was released in September 1944.]