BURNHAM ESCAPEES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 38, 21 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

BURNHAM ESCAPEES.

MANY CHARGES AWAITING. Press Association. TIMARU, March 20. Before two Justices to-day the two youths, Matthews and Wilson, who escaped from Burnham, pleaded guilty to a long list of offences committed after they arrived in South Canterbury. They broke into a hall at Orari, stole two miniature rifles at Arowhenua and Opihi, broke into half-a-dozeri fishing huts and stole provisions, and stole about £5 worth of various articles at Timaru. They tried to steal a motor fishing launch, to make a trip to Auckland they said, but could not manage the engine. They stole oil from two jother launches, arid they used the Timaru Harbour Board's dinghy to get from one to another and left it adrift; it got damaged and cost £ll 8/- to repair. They also broke,into the cool stojes and stole, provisions, and next broke open the Timaru Rifle Club's magazine and stole 470 rounds of ammunition. Both were arrested sleeping on a straw stack on a f arfa at st. Andrews, after breaking into the farmer's grain store and stealing some articles. On March 11 they escaped from custody, and on that day or the next broke into the Defence Department's store and stole two rifles, and some ammunition, and broke into a house at Timaru and a tent at Pareora. When subsequently arrested, "one near Timaru and one at Waitaki, each had a revolver not mentipned in. ythe charges. Both the youths were committed" for trial. -