The Boy Who Stole a Coat: Seattle’s Teenage Burglars and Their 'Ingenious' Defense
Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were caught red-handed stealing overcoats on King Street. Their attempt to blame a mysterious third party failed, but their defiant attitude offers a rare glimpse into the juvenile justice system of early Seattle.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
VERY YOUNG BURGLARS. Caught in the Act, But Attempt an Ingenious Defense.
James Faunt and John Reed, aged 16 and 17 years respectively, were bound over to the superior court for trial, on a charge of burglary, by Justice of the Peace Neagle yesterday.
They were caught in the act of breaking into the houses of R. P. Covington and R. J. Stewart, on the corner of South Fourth street and King. They went into the houses through a window and stole two overcoats and a pair of trousers, while a third boy, who got away, stood watch.
They were arrested by officer John Corbett. When young Faunt was put on the stand he was very independent and "tough," and said: "I never stole nothing, see? Somebody gibed Fred pants and de coats."
The Justice expressed curiosity to know who gave them to him and he answered: "A bloke what I knows but won't give away for me and me partner, Reed. He said he was goin' to Tacoma and axed us two chaps to keep the swag for him until we gets in Tacoma. He went afoot but we was going on the boat."
Reed was less tough but told the same story.
The case against the boys was too plain and they were bound over in the sum of $50 each. County Jail bail and are now in the [County Jail].
This 1901 account of juvenile delinquency highlights how Seattle’s youth have long navigated the city's streets with similar tactics—blaming absent accomplices and feigning toughness. While the stakes were lower (a pair of trousers rather than a car), the dynamic of teenagers exploiting the city's transient nature to commit petty crimes remains a recognizable thread in urban history.
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