YOUTHS IN TROUBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 68, 20 March 1916, Page 6

YOUTHS IN TROUBLE.

—i■ ■ « » ALLEGED THEFTS FROM LAUNCHES. SEVERAL CHARGES. A series of charges arising from the ; theft of certain gear from launches at I a Northeote was laid against two youths, | d William Wadham (IT) and George Ferris J t Vere Townshend (IS), at the Police! Court this morning, before Mr. F. V. i r Frazer, S.M. A third youth, Ellis Ver-' non Walker (20) was also Charged with , ._ the theft of certain goods at Auckland I | in conjunction with Townshend. Wadham and Townshend were charged ~ that on or about February 12 of last year they stole from the iaunch Manu a magneto valued at £7 10/, the pron perty of Messrs. Bailey and Lowe. Townshend was further charged that he [ stole from the launch Stella, on or about October 15 last, a quantity of electrical gear valued at £3 10/, the property of George Fraser. The charges against Walker were that at Auckland on 9th September last he stole an engine and dynauiO, valued at £!2.i. the property of Wm. Crosber and Sorts, and alterna- ,. tively that in conjunction with Town- ,_ shend he stole the engine and a quantity of electrical goods, to a total value of £174 14/9, from the same firm between ~ t November. 1814, and January. 1015. 1 After evidence had been heard on the' . first charge against Townshend and I ' Wadham. Mr. W. J. Napier, for Town-] ■' shend. asked his Worship to suspend | his decision till the other charges had j , been heard. In the present case, counsel submitted, the launch had been left upon ' '» a slip with the contents unprotected, so constituting a temptation to youths like ! the accused. He proposed to show later that Townshend committed the theit unler very peculiar conditions, and that at tvic time he did not have a guilty mind. ' After hearing all the charges his Worship might see lit to reduce them in such a way that they could be dealt with summarily. I Mr. H. H. Ostler, who appeared for Wadham, submitted that though the latter was present when Townshend boarded the launch and removed the' magneto, he took no part in the theft, I and obtained no benefit from it, while ' in law he could not be held to be guilty. The case is proceeding.