BOYS WITH GELIGNITE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21641, 6 November 1933, Page 6

BOYS WITH GELIGNITE

DANGEROUS PLAYTHING || EXPLOSION IN STREET. LAD LOSES FINGER AND THUMB Two boys, a plug of gelignite, a d©. tonator and a match—and the scene was set for an explosion that resulted in one of them being sent to hospital with a finger and thumb blown off. The circumstances of the case were related in the Magistrate's Court in Christehurch last week when the father of one of the boys, Robert Maben Currie, employed on a milk round, was charged with being in possession .of explosives, namely three plugs of gelignite and three detonators, without lawful purpose, con-' trarv to the Arms Act. Defendant pleaded guilty and as the police did not press for a penalty, he was convicted and discharged. Senior-Sergeant Fox stated that Currie's son. agen eleven, met another boy named Norton on the footpath outside his home. The boy Currie produced a plug of gelignite, a detonator and a piece of fuse and told Norton he was going to blow him up. Currie said he' was going to take the gelignite to school and show the other boys how to deal with explosives. How the Explosion Occurred

The boy Currie put a piece of gelignite on the footpath and told Norton to put a match to it. That was done and. without the detonator, it only fizzled and went out. Currie then pushed the detonator into the gelignite and when he pulled it out proceeded to remove the pieces of gelignite adhering with the end of a match. Apparently, however, some of it remained. Currie held the detonator in his hand at arm's length and asked Norton to put a match to it. There was an explosion and Currie lost a thumb and a finger. There was also the possibility of his losing another finger. Currie's father, said witness, frankly admitted having the explosives in his possession. He said he had been engaged on contract work and when he finished some explosives were left over. He took them home and put them in a place of safety. A fortnight before this incident, however, he changed his residence and the boy, on rummaging round came across them. The Arms Act, it was pointed out, provided for a fine of £IOO or three months' imprisonment for a breach. No Penalty Asked For Senior-Sergeant Fox added that the police did not ask for any penalty, as they realised Currie had been sufficiently punished already. It was hoped that the publicity given would make people realise not only the foolishness but also the danger of leaving gelignite lying round. The Magistrate: How is the boy? The Father: He is all right now. Tou can see how foolish you have been? —Yes, but the boy was told not to touch it at all. He would be rather a remarkable bov if he did all that he was told. —He is a bov who likes to see into everything. The defendant added that he had procured the gelignite for the purpose of splitting timber. An order was made for the celicnite to be forfeited.