“PAIR OF THIEVES.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10742, 13 November 1928, Page 7

“PAIR OF THIEVES.”

BOYS RIFLE CAMPS

Described by the police as a pair of thieving young rascals who prowled round seeing what they could steal, two lads, aged 12 and 14, a Maori and pakelia, admitted charges of theft. The elder lad confessed to stealing a telephone generator, valued at £l. and the younger admitted stealing a ukelele valued at £2 10s and jointly they admitted stealing bs worth of.,timber. Sunr.-Sergt. McLean said that the ukelele had been left by its ownei at liis camp round Kaiti beach, from where it had been stolen by the Maori boy in whose possession it was found next day. The elder boy. had entered the G.S.F.M. and M. Coy s works whilst the buildings were undergoing structural alterations and nulled the phone to pieces and removed the generator. The lads stole the timber recently to build a canoe. Both boys were in the habit of orowling round to see wliat they could steal, and the people who resided at Kaiti beach had < no peace in the summer months. Camps and cottages were broken into, and articles of food and other things stolen or contaminated. When the police interviewed the father of the boy who stole the telephone generator tho man stated that his son said he had found it under the house. The Magistrate remarked to tne older lad that he had a rotten record and was informed by the \\ eif are Officer that he had a rotten mind also-. Both lads were placed under the control of the district Child Welfare Officer for two years.