STOP, THIEF!

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 170, 21 July 1913, Page 4

STOP, THIEF!

Some people break the Eighth Commandment for Topsy's reason— "Kase I'se so wicked" ; whilst others do so /from sudden temptation. There aresotne people, however, who, while their consciences would rebuke them for picking a pocket or doing a little shoplifting, yet consider it a perfectly legitimate action to rob a flowergatxfan or a grave at a cemetery. In our opinion, the professional pickpocket or shoplifter is the better individual. Grave-robbing is a sacrilege, yet. it is a common enough occurrence, and the offenders are often persons whoso positions should presumably have put them above sudh acts. It is not altogether of the grave-robber that this article desims to treat, but of the. .thief or thieves who make a practice of depleting the flower beds at^ Seymour Square. Since the ..^eautifying Society has taken the Sqtoaire in hand the depredations have JBfi&fi consider- , able.. , Tho following i#|.tnecomplete \ list:—December 18, ..^Salvia Bonfire, : and a few Dianthtjs Hedwoggii; Decemher 30, 5 stock^; December 31 j 3 stocks; from DecerMier 31 to about

May 15, 10 stocks and 12 wallflowers; July 6, 3 wallflowers; July 19, one rose bush. It will be seen that the pilferer has a fine taste in horticulture, and his or her visits to Seymour Square have been fairly regular. Watching has hot proved successful in catching the offender, and something will have to b&. devised to stop the wholesale thieving that is going on. In some of the large centres of the Dominion it has been found necessary to place notice boards in conspicuous positions, bearing the inscription: "Citizens, protect your property," and also to lock the gates of the reserves at a certain hour each evening, except when any fete or promenade concert is progressing; and we would suggest that a similar caurse be followed regarding Seymour Square. The robbing of the beds is presumably carried out at a late hour of the evening, and if the gates were looked after eight o'clock each night the thief would have to resort to the expedient of climbing the fence, a procedure which carries a great risk of discovery. Peitty tihieves of this description are usually cowards, and would hesitate to risk capture by being found "on the premises during pronibited hours."