THE LOOTING OF LAUNCHES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 215, 9 September 1914, Page 8

THE LOOTING OF LAUNCHES.

£200 DAMAGE BY BOYS. MIISOHIEF AT FREEMAN'S BAY. The spirit of dostructiveness secais to be higtilv developed amongst a section of t'ho eniiill boys round Freeman's Bay, a.s was instanced in a case before the Juvenile Court this morning, 'When five youngsters, of agee ranging from eight years to fourteen years, were charged with having done damiigc to, and stolen goods from six 1 aim;'ho at the Freeman's Bay replantation. The value placed on the stolen arttck'S was about £20, and the damivge to bunches wa* assessed at about £3 10/; tut Constable J. 11. RoborUon stated that there had ibren over twenty launches der.poiled in the district in recrnt moniliis. ;ind ho placed the. cost of the damage done a.nd of the thefts at something like £200. In adJition to the five lads cm'argrd there were three other* .under the a.gc of se.ven years who had been implicated in Mr? matter before the Court. The evidence consisted of statement* made by the bo ye to the constable, .md of statements made by them in Court, the effect of .which wua to mako it amply clear t'ha-t the youngsters had at various times, wihi'le at tike 'beach, got on to as many launches as they conld get to by wading and using rafts, and had broken locks, turned over gear, and nifeohieiniifflv 'destroyed any electric contrivances or " gllissware ' that took their fancy. One boy, who was new to the district, related bow he he was jvmncod on by the othrr lads or the dtetrict. tied up with rope, and had has face and clothes painted with lubricating i.greu.se. while he was a,Uo made to .pull a trolley <-art that held part of the loot, lie* also explained how a pea-ride was found on a launch, and was played with until a cartridge jammed, and someone tried to knock at in with a hammer, the result being that a man on the beach was nearly shot us the concussion of the hammer-blow ex-plod-d the cartridge. The man's subsequent actions resulted in the cuUdcn disappearance of the youngsters and tho title. None of the things taken from the launches were taken home, but they were pulled to pieces and otherwise destroyed.

It was clear from tho evidence Uiat a boy of 14 years, who was not fullwitted, but who was big and strong, aud had a monkoy-like mama for destructiveness, had been the ringleader in all the mischief, ami he was ordered to .be sent to the Industrial Srliool. Two &niallt>r boys who had shown a certain amount of leadership were put on probation on terms that would be drawn li.p by Mr F. S. Shell (the Education Department's Probation Ofik-er) ; one was sternly and separately admonished; and on? very little chap was held not to have been guilty. The parents iv all cases were respectable, but poor, and as the evidence was so general that .particular theft could not be traced to any one particular boy, no order was "made against the parents of payments for damages.