BOY WITH PISTOL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21758, 24 March 1934, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOY WITH PISTOL

ATTEMPT AT BURGLARY YOUNG AUSTRALIAN'S LAPSE " GANGSTER VIRUS" BLAMED " Good-bye, old pal; I'm heading for the last round-up. I don't like hard work. I cannot sponge on you all the time." Thus ran a note left recently by a 17-year-old youth at the home of his brother before setting out to break into the house of Mr. Gordon Selfridge, a leading London merchant. The young Raffles bungled his first job. Ho had climbed to the back of the promises, and was attempting to force open a window when ho slipped, lie hung for a time to.the window-sill, and then dropped 25ft. to the area below. The noise of the fall brought out the butler, who found tlio youth holding his wrist, and his face covered with blood. The police were summoned, and he was taken to Charing CrOss Hospital. There it was found he had fractured a bone in his wrist and had a cut over his eyo. Ho gavo the name of Max Smith. When tho youth reached the Old Bailey dock it was revealed that his real name was Seymour Sidney Macdermott, an Australian, who had been in England only five weeks when he embarked on his adventure. According to the police Macdormott had an unloaded automatic pistol on him at tho time of the attempted burglary, and this was brokon by his fall. Macdermott was born in Sydney and educated in Melbourne. For a time he was assistant-manager of a ballroom there. In May of last year his father

sent him to China, hoping ho would be able to earn his own living. In November the youth came to England and stayed with a married brother in a London suburb. He was employed for a brief period as a canvasser; but was discharged as unsuitable for the work. His brother .described him as lazy and obsessed with gangster films and book:-.''

" Apparently ho is infected with the gangster virus," said the recorder, Sir Ernest Wild, K.C. It was further disclosed that the youth's parents were fairly well off and still in Australia. His brother asked for an opportunity to sond him back there.

In a statement handed to tho recorder, Macdermott explained that he did not carry tho pistol with any felonious intent. Youths of his age were fascinated by guns. He had bought tho pistol in China, and carried it wherever he went. " I can give no reason for my act," ho added. " All I can say is that it was a mad impulso." The recorder told Macdermott that although he was only 17 he had had a considerable experience of the world. " You got a feeling that you must not sponge on your brother any longer,"

the recorder observed, " and you go out leaving this farewell letter obviously intending to do what you call in your gunman's language ' a deed of derring-do.' " You had seen gangster films, and thought you would have a shot at the same kind of thing, and you said to yourself, ' What better castle can I assault than that of Mr. Gordon Selfridgef" You present a complex problem. I must protect the community, but I do not want to ruin ft young man of hitherto good character. " Fascinated by guns you probably enterod 011 this offence as much in a spirit of adventure as anything. I could send • you to penal servitude for this offenco, but I am not going to. 1 will postpone sentence until next sessions, when I hope a concrete plan will be put before me for sending you back to Australia."