PAINFUL CASE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 65, 18 March 1887, Page 2

PAINFUL CASE.

A cask of larceny of a painful r ature cafie before tho Polico Cjuit Id tiuy. I'we girls, '' named Aiico I'ercy and Phtetie Fletcher,wore charged with stealing a quantity of apples, value Is, tho property of Thomas Steadinan. Tho cu;o had been remanded ia order that inquiries might ba, ' made by tho i'rob'ition Oifieer, and he }k now handed in his report. Mr Percy appeared, ami said his daughter : was iho "youngest of twonty-ono childron whom he had reared, and he had nevor pre* viouely had any complaint to make against her Mrs Fletcher eaid her daughter was tho oldost of thirteen children, and one hod only recently left school. Serjeant Pratt informed the Court that not only did the {(iris steal the m fruit, but they also assaulted Mra Stead' man, who was now suffering from tho effects of their misconduct. This statement was denied by Mr Percy, «bo asserted that the assault, if any, was committed by Mrs Steadman, who threatened to pub bis : daughter in a pond. -,;; .; Mr Steadmau, who was in Court, informed tho Court that, according to their own admissions, the girls bad been in his orchard a dozen times. They had completely stripped twelve tree", and had trodden down the crops. Ho thought the tres- M passsrs wore men, and sat up till two and ■ three o'clock in the morning with the * object of catching them, but in vain. Hh6b(M to his surprise, he heard from hia littlo boy that theßO girls were in the habit of getting gj | into tho orchard and stealing bia fruit. He did not wieh to punish the girls but it was accessary that the parents should \, exercise more control over their children.— i' The Bench considered it necessary that H gardens should be protected, but as » 1 Mr Steadman did not wish the girls | punished this time, they would give them ■ . a chance by dismissing the case. . tt