Tale of Two Revolvers

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 161, 11 July 1939, Page 6

Tale of Two Revolvers

TERRITORIALS IN TROUBLE It happened during a parade of u wellknown regiment in Palmerston Nortn last November. Two youthful members, intrigued at the sight of several revolvers in a cupboard in the armoury, decided to take two homo to see how they worked. But that was the easiest part of the business for when, at next parade, they wanted to place them back from where they were taken without being observed, the opportunity just would not happen. The result was the revolvers remained in the pockets of their greatcoats. Unfortunately that was the last parade of the year so the lads had to retain the weapons over the holiday period and meanwhile their disappearance was discovered and the police informed. However, when tho regiment paraded again this year, the captain made an appeal to whoever had taken the revolvers, to bring them back and promised, according to the youths, that the matter would be dropped. So they seized the chance and sent .~e weapons back by post to their captain with an accompanying note which read:—

“Realising the seriousness of our offence and because of the embarrassment it would cause Us if we were to return the enclosed firearms personally, we are sending them through the post. We regret that we did this for we have derived no real satisfaction from them and for the good of the regiment which we respect, we return them to your keeping. Hoping that they arrive safely and that you will generously let the matter drop.—Yours humbly, Two Recruits (very raw).’’ Unfortunately the matter was in the hands of the police and it could not be dropped, hence the appearance of one of the culprits in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with the theft. After hearing the explanations the Magistrate dismissed the information and suppressed the names, pointing out that the evidence showed that both lads were keen. Territorials and such the country was in need of at the present time.