A YOUTHFUL BURGLAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12070, 13 September 1902, Page 3

A YOUTHFUL BURGLAR.

o>_ CAUGHT IN THE ACT. V , 4 iK.ii".!-..,'!>-iT' xtiompt to commit a burglary was marie a'.- an early hour yesterday at tb« shop of .Mr. Lowe, draper, Victoria Road, Devonpi rt, and resulted in (ho apprchonaioii of the miscreant, while conducting his operation:-. From the statement of a resident of Devonport, who was present shortly aftci the discovery was made, it appears that al • twenty-five minutes past four o'clock yesterday morning the. occupants of the houses adjoining Mr. Lowe'-: shop, namely, Messrs. Antonio Martin and William Thompson, heard sounds as of .1 person trying to force the door of the adjoining shop. On leaking investigation quietly, their suspicions were j confirmed, and Constable Miller was inform- i ed of 1 iio matter at Ids house, in a street near by. having retired to wA. The con-j stable armed himself with a revolver, and wit lion any delay proceeded to Mr. Lowe's ■shop, having removed his boots as a precaution against detection of his approach. Stealing up quietly lie saw & man on his knees ■ boring away at the lock of tho door with a brace and bit. Tho constable jumped on tho man from behind, the latter resisting violent- j ly, and it was not until the production of a..! revolver, and a threat, to shoot by the eon-! stable, that he was silenced. A number 06", persons had been aroused, and after the maul ■was handcuffed,' a milkman named Taylor! procured a lantern. Tho prisoner was then, found to be George Andrew Phillip John-' stori (17), a son of a respectable resident of Ifevonport.. On trans overpowered ho called out, "It is all up now, J have fallen this! tunc. I wanted to get money with, winch, to dear out to America." An examination of the door showed that the lock had first - been tampered with, and that eighteen holes had also been bored right through the door,! and more than three parts of the way round the lock.' The spaces between the holes hart then been sawn through by means of a. fretsaw, which was found lying on the-, ground. A screwdriver, a pocket-knife, a' box containing war matches, and a number of matches that had been struck were also lound lying en the ground by the door. •Johnston, was charged at the Police Court yesterday forenoon with breaking and ontermg the shop of John Lowe at Devonport with intent to commit a crime therein. Ser* geant Hansen applied for a, remand. Mr , •John Alexander, who appeared for the accused, fomented. Accused was formally re. rnanded till Wednesday next, and bail allow ed in two sureties of £50 each.