THIRTEEN BURGLARIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 201, 22 August 1912, Page 5

THIRTEEN BURGLARIES.

BT AN AUCKLAND BOY.

A TASTE FOR BUBJOTMCITY.

At Mβ bonne at Heme Bay yesterday afternoon, Kenneth Edward Carrie, a boy under sixteen years of age, was arrested by Det«-tive-S.ergeant Cox and Detective Sweeney on several charges of 'burglary. When taken into custody he confess*! to having eommifcted, lone-handed, tihir•teen burglaries wit-bin the past four •monthe, and he led the detectives to a large cupboard under the stairs in hie home where be had "boarded up the proceeds of the .burglaries. The lad is wellgrown for his age, and -works for a gunsmith. His particular hobby is electricity, and 'his 'taste in literature of tie recreative sort runs "to the sensational type, so common nowadays. These tastes are revealed in his hoard of electrical oipplian-ces, and the manner of their accumulation. He had the key of the cupboard, which was dedicated to him and bis -works, and unknown to 'hie parents (people of unquestioned good character and position) he. mode his advenlUiTOUß trips 10 town early in Hit* evenings and on Sundaysso his confession r.ms. The fact Ilia* his ventures into burglary were contemporaneous witJi the recent sa-fe-lireakin-g episodes rather -mixed matters for the detectives, ■who, for a time, were inclined to suspect a connection between the two classes of burglary. But the safe-<breakrng was discontinued, and the more petty breaks wont on. while small evidences left behind besrpn>k<2 youiih in the person or persons who trespassed. It was thought that several youth.* were implrcateci, but the lad Carrie asserts that lie carried out the offences without assistance, obtaining admittance in most cases by prising tip side and ha<k ■window. The fact that the whole of the j missing property has been found in hi.« possession tends to corroborate his word for it. Between 10th May and last Saturday Cnrrie in this way' cnll<vtecl from the simps of Messrs. Tho*. T>arby (Queen Street), Ernest Would (Wrllrsley 'street). »!wiirri Crawford (Welif-*ley I Street), W. Groslipr and Sons (High Street), (;ill>crt. W. Sprajf? (l>srne Street). Obarles T>r?.<h (Wellesley Street), the Kl<>ctric C'onstruHion Com-1 pany (High Street), and the Vacuum Cleaning Company (City Market), elec-; I trical haUeries, accmnnla-tors and other applinnircs a.pp.roximat-in,2 in i-alue £791 5/6. In addition, he visited the shops of Thos. MisMonvny (Strand A road el land \V. Pav.-s.on (Queen Street), and the I oftk-e of D. S. Kai.t-emi-h (High Street). collecting respectively a.t rach place j I tobaflr-o and cigarottcs. K>tt!es of HOPnt.j and office accessories. At Mt. Dawson's lie also got £7 in moncn-. He visited sonic of these places more fhan once. By this arrest, in conjunction with previous ami more sensational ones, the I police have torn away the mystery which RhroutJled the rather disturbing burglaries j of the past few months, practically every J j reported case having been covered or I satisfactorily explained. The lad was brought before Mr. E. C. Oittten. fOL, this aftfmoo-n. when the I charges were reduced 10 c-rmnnon theft. I a-nd the accused plc;idej "liuilry."' He j was oonTraitit.ed -to the Weraron Training Farm.