WAREHOUSE BREAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 16 January 1905, Page 5

WAREHOUSE BREAKING.

! ■ j JUVENILE GANG'S METHODS. TWO HEAVY SENTENCES. A gang of juvenile warehouse breakers were convicted by Mr. McCarthy, I S.M.. in the Police Court this morning ,of thefts which were carried out in veiy methodical fashion, the youngsters go* ing to the length of collecting their spoil in one place, and then hiring an j express curt to take it to a dealer for sale. The accused were William Scarbroa (IS), William Burnett (10), Rene Joseph Marvin (1G). and John Reid (14), who were charged with breaking and entering | the premises of Mr. S. Parker, in Me--1 ehanics' Bay. Parneil, on Friday, stealing a quantity u> zinc. Scarbroa, Bar- ! nett, and Marvin were also charged ! with breaking and entering Mr. P. Hoffman's piano warehouse, in Upper Queen•jtreet, on January 10, and stealing a quantity of zinc. They pleaded guilty to all the charges. Mr. J. R. Lundon defended Reid and Barnett. Chief Detective Marsack told the magistrate that the gang of boys had been in existence for about a week, and the thefts were carried out with a certain amount of premeditation. They secreted themselves in Mr. Parker's premises until the workmen left, and one boy then watched outside while the others collected all the zinc and lead tbey could stow into some sacks. They walked off with as much as they could stagger under, and secreted the metal in the scrub near Shelly Beach-road. On Saturday morning they engaged an express cart to remove it to a dealer for sale. The dealer suspected that the material had been stolen, so he told the boys to call again, and very properly communicated with the police, who soon apprehended the g*ng. In the case of Mr. Hoffman'.- -.varohouse, Scarbroa, Barnett, and Marvin broke in on Tuesday, and passed out a larsre number of zinc sheets. They were observed by a woman, and rinding that they had been detected they dropped the stolen metal and bolted. Scarbroa and Marvin had bad record?, the former having attempted to escape from £aol when serving a month's sentence recently for assault, while Marvin, in December, was convicted of breaking and entering a warehouse in Fort-street, from which a large quantity of sweets were stolen. On that occasion he was discharged upon promising to come up for sentence if called upon. Mr. McCarthy informed Scarbroa that they had both neglected to avail themselves of chances to reform. He. theiefore. sentenced Scarbroa to 12 months' imprisonment, while Marvin would have to go to prison for sis months. Barnett was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon, while Reid was convicted and discharged.