Alertness of Crimson Crew Changes Newell Thief's Plea

Alert spotting of petty theft at Newell Boathouse led to a sentence of six months in the House of Correction for Donald J. Breton, 21, of Somerville.

James H. Mathewson '51 spotted the pilferer in the Newell locker room May 2 and jotted down his car license number as he pulled away. Stroke Louis B. McCagg and two managers assisted in identifying Breton at a trial May 14. Breton, who stole about $50, elected to appeal but then changed his plea to guilty when he appeared in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday.