WAIPAWA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3200, 30 September 1881, Page 2

WAIPAWA.

(FROM OUR OWN dORRESPOKD-OTT.) September 29. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Messrs Inglis and Mackersey,-J.P., Hugh __at_ie9on, a boy aged about; twelve years, was charged with the larceny of 2s 6d from Messrs Price and Innes' drapery store, Waipawa, at which establishment accu.ed bad been employed as errand boy for some time ■ past; Recently Mr Stuhbs, the manager,;..had: reason to suspect the boy's boneßty,; and informed the police thereof, who recommended him to mark several coins for the. purpose of detecting any attempt at theft,' This had been done, with the result that on Wednesday evening the prisoner was found in possession of a marked halfcrown, which he had tendered in payment for apples purchased at Mr Gillett's store. The coin was identified by Mr Stubbs as one.of those be had marked on Wednesday morning, and placed, in his cash-box. Tbe Court, in sentencing the boy to 48 hours' imprisonment in Waipawa lock-up, said the most lenient view ofthe case had been taken, in the hope that accused would profit by the present lesson taught him, and leara to eschew the path of crime for the future. The boy's mother, who was present in Court, expressed unbounded astonishment at the magnitude of the punishment inflicted for stealing " only half-a-crown." Her astonishment was, however, reduced considerably when the Bench informed her that her son was liable to a term of three years' imprisonment had he been returned for trial to Napier. ■■■■■> The shock of earthquake on Wednesday calls to my recollection a story. I heard some little time ago. A bagman (who periodically vists this district) was having an argument with a Waipawa gentleman who holds the opinion that it is not a safe " spec*' to erect brick build-' ings in this part of the island owing to the frequency of " shakes." The commercial, in a manner peculiarly his own, quite settled the discussion by stating that now the country was being opened up and settled, earthquakes could not possibly happen, evidently basing bis opinion on the supposition that, as the country became more civilised and populated, so earthquakes (like the moa) would disappear.