A BOYISH PRANK.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15560, 8 April 1916, Page 13

A BOYISH PRANK.

SEQUEL IX COURT. Yesterday the Magistrate's Court was tho scene of the sec|ucl to a boyish prank played with a certain amount of seriousness by a lad of 16 J- on another of -0, in order to induce liim to enlist for tho front.

l r rom the evidence gi|ven before Mr T. A. B. Bailey. K.M.. it appeared that | the alleged cuiprit, Victor James Flood by name, was employed at Shand s bt. Albans brewery. Ho had twice enlisted, but being under ago had been rejected. On o of his fellow-workers was a lad of 20, who had three brothers also of military age, but who had not enlisted. This lad was the bubje'et of much chaff and banter from his companions as to his lion-enlistment, and Flood, taking matters into his own hands, went into the Recruiting Office and tilled up a registration card, sighing the other lad's nqme, all unconscious that be was committing the grave, and indictable offence, of forgery. Subsequently hi; was tracked down by Detective Ward, at the instigation of the military authorities, when .ho frankly admitted his escapade, explaining that be only intended it as a joke. Mr 0. T. J* Alpers. -who appeared 'for Flood, submitted that this was a case which his Worship, if he liked, could deal 'with himself, without a commitment to the Supreme Court. Flood, he said, had "always been keen on getting to the front. Ho had 'enlisted twice, and of course, had lied about his age, which fact, on being discovered. resulted in his being promptly "lired out."' 'It "got up against him" thr.li neither his work companion nor his brothers had .gone, and it dawned or. him that they were "conscientious objectors.'' and chaff was bandied round accordingly. Flood then thought he would do a little recruiting on iiis own, so in a spirit of boyish nonsense ho fiiied in. a registration card in the ether's name. All ho wished was to have a laugh at his companion next morning when he found his name in thc paper. Flood was now charged, continued Mr Alpers, with the formidable crime of forgery", of which he had no intention as. of course, he did uot imagine the 'locument would be acted upon. He (.Mr A 1 Tiers) had a suspicion that his Worship himself was not nltogether antipathetic t>o thc little joke. ' It was certainly r> wrong way to go about recruiting, but many novel schemes for obtaining recruits were in \ o'iMp nowadays.

liis Worehin remarked that th« case was a very neculiar one, and after b'-ar-j-i.r tbn lad's own evidence, which bore out Mr Alpers'y submission, said he would v.'ai+ ti'l Wednesday next before deciding what to do with him. Flood •■\as then released on his own recognisances.