BOY BURGLAR BROKE INTO EIGHT HOUSES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6552, 8 March 1928, Page 7

BOY BURGLAR BROKE INTO EIGHT HOUSES

Fried Eggs and Ate Them On the Chesterfield “THE MYSTERY MAN” AND HIS SIGN HECTIC TIME IN LOWER HUTT. (For Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Nlglit. Not yet fifteen years of age a boy appeared before Mr. J, H. Salmon, S.M., in tlio Lower Hutt Magistrate's Court to-day, to answer a series of charges which included eight of breaking, entering and theft;- two of wilful damage; and one of false pretences. The Magistrate said that in view oi the anxiety caused in the district through the actions of the boy, ho would give special permission to the press representatives to publish the facts. Sergeant Reid said that the accused admitted entering eight houses and stealing articles from them. Ho ransacked most of the houses and in three of them uncoupled the wireless equipment. In one of the bouses ho found a tin of sardines and a tin of pineapple. The contents of both were eaten. He then cut and destroyed a new shoe which he found. Several days later he picked some peas in a garden and sold them at 2d per lb.. At another house he stole £4 and having found a frying pan in a cup board, fried some eggs on the gas stove and consumed them on the couch in the front room. He then opened a tin of pineapple, ate half of it and plastered the rest on the bricks of the fireplace. To cap everything ho wrote a most indecent letter concerning the owner's wife. Later on he conceived the idea of collecting money on a bogus subscription list for the Anglican boys’ building fund. Other houses were visited on subsequent dates and wore thoroughly ransacked in each case. Ho was searching for money and most of it was spent on sweets, at the pictures and at the Wellington Zoo. Referring to the letter which was signed “ hue Mystery Man,” and underneath which was a- drawing of two crossed pistols, the Magistrate remarked that it looked like the result of going to the, pictures. Mr. Bullivant child welfare officer, stated that he had boon to the accused’s home and could offer no excuse for iis conduct. His parents said that he did not read much and hardly ever went to the pictures. Observing that the accused was too young for the Borstal Institute, the Magistrate ordered hlih to be sent to Wcraroa.