"SATAN FINDS MISCHIEF."

NZ Truth, Issue 252, 23 April 1910, Page 6

"SATAN FINDS MISCHIEF."

False Fire Alarms.

TSigre-areunnleasant "pushes" of youths 111 the hobtoiedeUby stage of existence m the holy city of Christchurch, one of the most notorious having its haunt m,/ 'the Rivet-road and Sfcaninorc-road section of Richmond. Members of this push have 1 been frequently before the court, and thei spirit of the Australian pushite which | renders him unworthy of push society unr j til he has faced the beat at least once,, j is reproduced' here with deplorable' re-i suLfcs. The Richmond horde has appeared . before the Magistrates Court, individual-; ly and coHecti*ely, on various charges. Since the beginning of the present year, ,tlrirty false alarms of fire have been,given, m the city, and the brigade has had ■ bootless errands m consequence thereof. •How the' latest alarm originated was told m tke Magistrate^ Court before Mr ■Biahofi/ SJVL, on Saturday, wissn Peter I jCairns (Zfl>, Eucar Moore (16), Victor! Smith, <&&$, araTßobert ' Oqckburn Ci'O, ;were charged with mischiesoasiy calling out the Fke Brigade on Sunday, April j 3, Amuswmoftts axe not pecmi±ied m this iwowser-riibleii country on. the Sabbath, and Old MSclc has no <fiflieul*y m finding plenty ol work lor idle tend* to do. Moore, SmitM, Cockburn, and a lad named | Braid were grouped on the Blast iSett, near the sluggish Ason, when Cairns, Who' recently joined the Fire Brigade, j irode round' by the. river with a paL i What followed was toH to tbe court by • Cockburn* the only one of the four 'who | pleaded guilty. Mr Donnelly represented Cairns. ' . . ■ As Cairns sited past bis beauteous, uniform pasts, were observed, and doe of the crowd yelled, "Are you a Socialist? 7 :' Cairns stopped, to investigate, when Moore queried, "Would yon. like to be turned' out t" Cairns expressed approval. "Ring up that there is a fire on the Canal Reserve," he said, "and that the pumping plant . is wanted."* Later, Cairns saw Hooter and Braid, and instructed them to tell the others not to ring up till 9.30 when he t Cairns), would be on duty. They might see him driving tbe engine out. Shortly before' 8 pjn., CocKkrom, Smith, and Moore entered the Canterbury Kowing Club's shed— which seems to be open to. all .comers, and would mate a good does-bouse f sir Powetta ; if it were transpotted to the ' Manawatta district— and haadAed the talejabone. Smith and Moore cantfliaJLned that .they couldn't speak for Homes:, so CocKburn rang up the Lichttefi! rtation, and as the fire was repeated to be a serious one, both the Lfcfcu&eid-street and Chester-street c&emtcite were despatched to a bogus outbreaft. ■ '■■•'■ . " Constable Began, got an the job later, anA Tisfcfced tbe Belfast freezing works, wfe&re Smith aad Codctwro were empfeyaf, and after thrusting the nsaai tjarefaood denial aside, obtained signed con!essionm. Moore also brazened it out till : faced with facts gafltered by tbe lav, when he also cared m. fit Ms ova. defence. Cairns said be regsaSo*. the matter. as a jofce, *ni tridnt iream that the youths Intended to, act j upon toy of his remarks- When it cccurrci to Mm t6cre was anything seiiuns m it, ke sent messages to Scoter and Braid to -tell .the others not to "come any of those games." Cairns -mas walk- ! ing gotftanttqatty vfth Ms best girl m the evening on tke bante of the tansmil stream, anAoeamjjed his warning throngh BraaNUto the o&crs. Shortly after the alarm -was gxren, and as the cbemscal i approaebed, lie temporarily deserted Ms donah, and dtmbed on tbe bad of the tengiw. Wfeafc followed wjtot the- falsity not fine alarm transpired wasnrt menItUaied, hat it was probaoly cuss words, t JyocaKaed or forcflrty suppressed.' Caints kejoined Ms lady &fend and the^sifciect of JJWte oaayersaMon. was resmned. .The aceosed were convicted. , ■ j *rae Sob-insnector mentioned ta»at^aoore 'fiad teen up before, once for mischief and ? Ikince tor Qteft, while Smith had been^ {twice convicted of theft. j His WVKStdp hesitated atant sending I jtliem to an industrial school for Has <A-i fence, hot told them Chat Burnbakn wasi 'tbexr certain" destinatS on should tiieyicome'! before him again. As for Cairas^ he.M didn't for a tngmenfe believe that, thatw man Trad spoken the truth. A Sxsei tof ASs was imposed m each case, with -costs, the bench pointing out thaS&ejhao' power; il he so desired, to fine -fiiemi up, <to £50, or sentence them to a'nwaA's