Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-03-04 | Page 4 | Jeweler Slays Youths in $1.50 Burglary

f: ; 'I Knew That I Was on My Own' id m4 -" 1 - .v-saMMlsi. I wmwi I ,7'.V aasaj WORKS CALMLY AT SCENE OF FATAL GUNPLAY Robert A. Thomas, Lombard, 111., watch repairman Jeweler Slays Youths In $1.50 Burglary LOMBARD, 111, March 4 (UP) Robert A. Thomas, 59, squinted through his jeweler's glass and with calm hands repaired re-paired the complicated mechanisms of watches today in the backyard shop where he' has worked for 15 years. On the floor beside his workbench work-bench were two stains marking the places where two 'teen-age bos hsd died with three stolen 50-cent wrist watch straps in their pockets. pock-ets. John MrKenna. 14. snd Robert M. McWililams, 16, were killed by three bullets from Thomas' .32-20 hunting rifle. He discovered them In his shop at 11 p. m. Saturday after they had set off his complicated, com-plicated, home-made burglar alarm system, which was- wired to a buzzer at his bedside. Police said it had been the boys' first sdven-tuee sdven-tuee in crime, even petty crime. Hears Burglar Alarm Thomas told police he had heard the alarm and sat up, la bed, doubtfully doubt-fully at first, because once before frost had collected under the door of the shop and set off the system. sys-tem. He said he dressed hurriedly, hurried-ly, slipped Into his pocket the .38-callber .38-callber pistol he keeps on his workbench work-bench while he works, and carried hie game rifle. "I opened the back door and I saw the door of my shop ajar," Thomas said- "If It was closed the light from the street lamp would have reflected from it But it was In shadow, so I knew It was open. I saw flashes Inside the shop, and I went back Into the house to call the police. "1 eouldnt eat the oneratnr to answer and I knew then that I was on my own. I went into the shop, kicked open the door and jumped inside. I saw a shadow move. I fired and the shadow dropped.'" Kills Both Prowlers Later, the shadow at which Thomas had shot was Identified as the McKenna boy, shot through the heart and killed. Thomas said he saw another figure fig-ure dodge, and fired as the figure went down under the workbench. Then he jumped around the bench and fired again. The figure dropped. This was the MrWII-liams MrWII-liams boy, shot through the head. "The boys were lying there moaning and I went In to call the police department I told the officer of-ficer I had a couple of deed ones for them to take away." Police Chief Richard G roots said that no action was contemplated against Thomas.,