BOYS IN PRISONERS’ DOCK

Evening Star, Issue 18258, 24 April 1923, Page 10

BOYS IN PRISONERS’ DOCK

EXTENSIVE BURGLARIES. CURSE OF BANEFUL “SHOCKERS.” Two gongs of youthful burglars who have been operating in Nelson for a considerable time came before Ur T. E. Mamuoll, SAL, on Saturday. A long series of charges of theft included breaking and entering, some of the places robbed' being hardware shops, confectionery and fruiterers' shops, and plumbers' and auctioneers' premises. Tho Magistrate, in addressing the throe bigger boys, said that they had pleaded guilty to a number of serious crimes, which ho thought would come, as a shock to tho community. “ I do not know when such serious crimes as these have cntnn before mo so far as youths arc concerned. You have also stolen goods of a nature vnu have no right to have in your possession, such as whisky, guns, ammunition, and tobacco. You are on the threshold of life now, and you stand in the prisoner’s dock. You are before me as a gang of criminals. You have brought dishonor and shame upon yourselves and upon your mothers and fathers. Exactly how these criminal instincts originated I do not know, but I would like to know. No doubt you have, had 100 much freedom in the past. That freedom is going to bo severely curtailed. It has been suggested that your conduct was probably duo to the literature which you have boon reading. I have before me some samples of the rubbish. Here, for instance, is ‘Harry Tracy ’ the Heath-deal-ing Oregon Outlaw,' _ Another is ‘The Death Man from .Mexico,’ extending over some eighty pages, and which I see cost tho large sum of 4d.” Continuing, .His Worship said l that on account of the boys' youth he would not send them to gaol, but was going to give tho majority of them a final chance to save themselves from utter degradation and ruin. Regarding one, however, he would have different supervision than he was receiving in his home. Tho boy would bo sentenced to two years’ reformative troaSmen-t. In regard to tho other two, something had been said in their favor, and he would not sentence them to reformative treatment, but, they would have to servo a period of two years on probationary license. In addition to tho restrictions imposed by the law, the boys would bo prohibited during the probationary term from being absent from their homes after sunset, particularly on Sundays, and they would 1 be prohibited from loitering in the streets. They would also bo forbidden to have any literature which was not approved of, and they would have to remain awav from the pictures. His W nrship concluded by expressing the hope that their present position would be a lesson for the rest of their lives.

■Speaking- tr> the younger lads, he said that one of them had been before the court on a previous occasion. Ho would order him to receive si.v strokes of the birch, All flip other boys would be convicted of the charges to which they had pleaded guilty. They would bo sentenced to come before him in twelve months for punishment. During the twelve months they were under the control of the. Probation Ofiiccr they would not bo permitted to attend tho pictures nor to read any literature unless it was approved by tho head master of their school. They wore, also forbidden to loiter in tho street on Sundays. “I hope,” concluded the magistrate, “that this will bo the last time I shall see you before tho court, and that you will develop into honest young men.” Detective Russell said that tho literature bad not been obtained through tho local newsagent. Tho Magistrate: It is of a most objectionable nature.