POLICE COURT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5373, 5 September 1904, Page 7

POLICE COURT.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3. (Before Dr A. McArthur, S.M.) DRUNKARDS’ DEEDS. Dennis O’Sullivan was fined £1 for his third offence of drunkenness siuoo Wednesday, September Ist. Thomas Nicholson was lined 10s for drunkenness, and £2 for having used obscene language in the shop of a purveyor of fried fish and chipped potatoes. SNEAK THIEVES. William Brown and Robert McLaughlan "were charged with having stolen five shirts and twenty-fivo pairs of socks respectively from the shops of Edward J. Walsh and the Union Clothing Company . respectively. Brown pleaded guilty ; McLaughhm not guilty. Each was sent to prison for throe months. ORDERED SOUTH. Daniel Carney was charged that he was about to leave Now Zealand without making provision for 1 lie maintenance of his unborn child. He was remanded to Christchurch, to appear there on Monday, “YOUNG IN YEARS” Edgar Gray, until recently a message boy employed by Pringle and Co., was charged with three separate thefts cl bicycles, respectively, from Lacry and Co., Alexander McGregor, and Horten Dodger, on dates ranging from June to fcfoptcmbor. There were further charges against him of theft of purses, a sovcreign-caso, \a cig»rotte»*cas©, a pocket-book, and two ping-pong balls from his employer, and of os from a purso left in the shop by a- lady customer. Accused pleaded guilty. Mr Wilford, on behalf of the accused, asked his Worship toi be merciful. It was a fact that the lad had boon convicted before, but ho was still young, and capable of reformation; and tho effect of sending him to prison would probably bo to destroy that chance, for the lad was over fourteen years of ago, and, therefore, not entitled to special treatment. His Worship thought the cases were too bad to permit of leniency being extended. Mr Wilford urged that the case might be mot by convicting tho lad, and ordering him to come up for sentence when called upon. That could bo held

over him as an inducement to keep straight. His employer still had hope for him; in fact Mr Pringle hud gencr-mi-ly offered to taka Idm hack to- work

again. Clitef-ItetecUvo McGrath said that all the articles missing from tho shop, save the (ivo shilling's had been recovered; the hoy had made a clean breast, of his oilmens.' In the matter of the bicycles, tho i.ov's methods bad been reckless. Ho sonmed to have ridden thorn about and to havo thrown thorn away when ho was dorto with Ilium. JH> rodo Laery and Co.’s bicyclo to Xewlown and there abandoned it, with the result that it was still missing. One bicycle ho kept foi- Ids special use, 'telling his employer that it had been bought ior him hy ins father, and telling his’ father that Jlr I’rinjjte had hwight it. 'file lad was the son of very respectable parents, and lli:*y v/cro anxious that ho might be allowed to take advantage of Mr I’ringlo’s kind offer. It was true that there was a previous conviction against accused—ono for fruit stealing. Mr Vvilford. -speaking from personal knowledge, said it was ddlicutl to smmiso what had given rise to the criminal acts in Gray ; it was neither heredity nor environment in hit ease. Ho was entitled it. tho small credit that lie had voluntarily confessed to tho theirs from his employer’s shot); tho articles had not been missed hy -dr Pringle until tlvav confessed his misdoing. Pis Worship said ho was greatly impressed hy tho oiler made hy Ah-Pringle. Generally in such a case as tho present lliooo was extreme difficulty—when a hoy was let, off hy the Court—in ceiling him new employment, and for tho hoys own protection' it was of ion necessary 1„ send him to an industrial school. Since Grays employer was willing to take him hack again, it seemed to his Worship that ho should not place any diilieidtv in (he lad's way. Gray was (lieu convicted, ami warned thii.r if ho did not. go straight ho would he, brought up again, and committed, to an industrial sehcoi until ho reached the ago of twenty-one years.