MISCHIEVOUS BOYS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 89, 12 October 1923, Page 8

MISCHIEVOUS BOYS

DAMAGE TO ELECTRIC TRANS-

MISSION LINE.

(BY TELEGRAPH—PRBSB ASSOCIATION.)

ASHBURTON, This Day. Rhoderick M'Rae (15), of Methven, and William Henry Fagan (17), of Springburn, were cnarged at Court today with wilfully damaging the Coleridge transmission line at Mount Hutt. Mr. Buchanan, who appeared for Fagan, pleaded guilty and said the Act provided for a. penalty of- £500, plus cost of damage. This line ran through tussock country, sparsely inhabited by people uninitiated in the ways of electricity. Neither boy realised he .was doing harm when he created a short circuit by throwing up pieces of wire in order to see sparks fly. Their action plunged Ashburton in darkness for six hours, and caused damage to the head works. When arrested, the boys told the constable that if pieces of wire fell near the poles they would have climbed up and removed them. Such a course, added counsel, would have instantly killed them. He urged the necessity lor the better education of residents respecting electricity. These boys were not characteristically mischievous and the cases were the "first of their'kind. Mr Mac Gibbon, for the Department, said the damage amounted to £100 Ihe Magistrate said he would treat severely future cases. In the present case the law did not allow birching. 18 5d WaS £2 and costs 3