BOYS PROTECT GIRLS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17700, 28 February 1923, Page 3

BOYS PROTECT GIRLS.

PRAISED AND ADMONISHED

There was an unusual case at the Juvenile Court at Auckland on Saturday morning, when five boys were charged with having thrown stones to the danger of passers-by.

Evidence was given by a girl twelve years of age that on a recent evening she was standing with another girl near Victoria Park, when a man came up and asked her where a certain street was. She replied that she did not know, and called to one of the boys oharged, who was standing on the opposite side of the street. All the boys came over, and two of them offered to show the stranger the street. Shortly afterwards tiiey came back and told the g-rl to go home, as' there was a bad man about. The boys stated that the man m the case, after walking along with them for a short distance, made enquiries which led them to warn the girls to go home. They then followed the man into Ponsonby road, and the man being unable to shake them off, threw a stone at them. The : udvs replied to this single shot with a volley, and the man went into a fish snop and 'phoned for the police. Three of the boys waited for the arrival of the constable, and when he was going to arrest them, . the eldest said: "It's the man. you ought to arrest —he's not fit to be at large." ' "I believe the story of the boys," said Mr Poynton, S.M. "They waited when they knew the policeman had been summoned. Indeed, it was very creditable to them to stick up for the girls and warn them to go home. However, it was wrong, for them to throw stones.

"Always stick up for the girls, boys," said Mr Poynto'n, addressing the youngsters —"just as. you did in this case; but don't throw stones. The case is dismissed."