TWO WAYWARD YOUTHS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19254, 19 August 1924, Page 3

TWO WAYWARD YOUTHS.

SERIES OF OFFENCES. ACCUSED COMMUTED FOR SENTENCE. A considerable port ion of the sit liner of tho City Police Court yesterday was taken up with the hearing of a number of charges against two young men who were responsible for the committal of several offences, principally in South Dunedin. Mr IT. W. Bundle occupied the bench, and Cliiefdetectivo Lewis conducted the case for tho police. George Edward Ferguson was charged with having, on July 10, broken and entered tho Kensington School by night and stolen therefrom 2s fid in money, the property of Ethel Myrtle Lawrence Milliker, with having broken and entered tho Forbury School by night and stolen therefrom £2 10s in money, the property of Walter James Boraman, and with having, on July 19, broken and entered tho Mncandrew Road School by day and stolen therefrom 15s in money, tho property of John Bowie. George Edward Ferguson and Henry Frederick Hornby were charged as follows; (1) With having, on July 22, broken and entered the counting house at the King Edward Theatre by night with intent to commit a crime therein; (2) with having, on July 22, broken and entered by night a shop occupied by Martha Herd and stolon therefrom 8s in money, two boxes of chocolates, valued at £1 18s, and seven packets of cigarettes, valued at 5s 3d, tho property of Martha Herd; (3) with having, on July 22, attempted to break and enter a shop occupied by John Cameron with intent to commit a crime therein; (4) with having, on July 30, broken and entered a warehouse by day occupied by the Shaw, Savill Shipping Company and stolen therefrom one medal, one souvenir, and one bottle of rum, valued at 10s, the property of John Edward Galbraith; (5) with having on July 30, attempted to break and enter a warehouse occupied by Benjamin Hatfield with intent to commit a crime therein; (6) with having, on July 30, broken and entered by day a warehouse occupied by Angus M'Leod and stolen therefrom three cigars, valued at Is fid, three twopenny stamps, and three pennies, the property of Millars West Australian Hardwood Company; (7) with having, on July 30, broken and entered by night a warehouse occupied by the Otago Co-operative Milk Supply Company and stolen therefrom two dozen lead pencils, 29 packets of cigarettes, four tins of Capstan tobacco, four large packets of Three Castles tobacco, four small packets of Three Castles tobacco, six boxes of matches, 16 books of cigarette papers, two tubes of shaving cream, £2 10s in money, and stamps valued at £1 (total value, £7 0s lOd), the property of the Cooperative Milk Supply Company; (8) with having, on July 31, broken and entered tho Oavcrsham School by day with intent to commit a crime therein. Before tho hearing was proceeded with his Worship asked why so many charges had been brought against the accused. U seemed to be a waste of time to bring witnesses to court for all the cases. Chief-detective Lewis said there had been a number of burglaries, and the cases w r ero brought in order to clear the whole matter l 'P. On the application of Chief-detective Lewis the charges wore heard together. Ethel Myrtle Lawrence Hilliker, a teacher nf, the Kensington School, stated that on July 10 she left a bottle containing about 2s fid in coppers in tho school. Tho money was missed next morning. Frederick Adolphus Harper, janitor at tho Kensington School, stated that the school was locked as usual between 7 and 8 p.m. About 6.30 next morning ho found evidence of someone having been in the school. The eastern door was not locked. Walter James Boraman, a teacher at tho Forbury School, stated that ho left the cupboard in his classroom locked on July 11. There was about £2 10s in the cupboard. On July 14 a poker was lying outside the classroom door. Inside the room tho cupboard door was open, and papers and boxes were in confusion. Ferguson stated that tho amount taken was not so large as was mentioned in tho charge. George Thomas Hamon, caretaker of the Forbury School, stated that on July 13 he went into the school at 10.30 n.m. Everything was then all right. At 5 a;m. on July 14 he found cupboard doors open, drawers pulled out, dead matches on the floor, and two windows open. Janet Lucy Crawley, a teacher at the Macandrew Road School, stated that there was a box for collections for the Barnardo Homes in the infant room. The box was three-parts full of coppers and some small silver. On July 21 she found that the collection box had been broken np. John Edward Galbraith, representative of the Shaw, Savill Shipping Company, stated that on July 30 ho left the company's office about 2 p.m. On August 2 he found that the front door had been forced, and that a roller-top desk had been forced open. A medal was missing from the desk and other articles were also missing, the total value being about £1 10s. Annie Pecldie, wife of tho caretaker of the Macandrew Road School, said she left the school after 12 o’clock on July 10. Some of the windows had no catches on them. As far as witness knew the school was locked up. About 3 p.m. on July 20 witness found two of the cupboards in the school open, and the police were communicated with. John Cameron, hairdresser and tobacconist in King Edward street, stated that he left his shop about 0.45 p.m. on Jury 22. The front door was locked. About 8 o’clock on the following morning the door was knocked about, as though a jemmy had been used. Alexander Fraser, caretaker of the King Edward Picture Theatre, stated that he closed the theatre about 10 p.m. on July 22. At 8.45 next morning ho noticed that tho ticket box door had been pressed open, and the ticket seller's seat was outside the door. No money was ever left in the ticket box. Martha Herd, residing in King Edward street, said she kept a confectionery shop next door to the King Edward Theatre. On July 22 she left the shop between 11 and 11.15 p.m., when everything was secure. Next morning a door between tho shop and the theatre were open. About 5s in silver, some pennies, and two boxes of chocolates wore missing. Percy Charles Nicol, a collar maker, employed by Ben jam in Hatfield, stated that when he left the factory on July 30 both doors were locked. He returned at 8,50 next morning, when he found that tho street door had been prised open and the inside door was partly open. Angus M’Leod, manager for Millar’s West Australian Hardwood Company, stated that he left his office about 5 p.m. on July 30. . The doors were then locked. At 8.15 next morning he found that the back door had been forced open. About three cigars were missing, two or three two-penny stamps, and two or three coppers were missing. Jas. Boggart, secretary of the Co-opera-tive. Milk Supply Company, gave evidence that ho left the company’s premises at 5,10 p.m. on July 30. Next morning he found that tho top panels had been forced one the back door. In the inner office a rollertop dock had been forced open. The place was littered with matches, and there was a bottle containing a little whisky on tho table. The goods mentioned in the information —£210 s in money, and stamps valued at £l—were missing. Leila Jones, caretaker of the Caversham School, stated that she went over to the school at (> p.m. on Jill y SI to Jock up. All the doors were locked except one, which was secured with a nail. Next day she found one of the doors open and three cupboards were also open. Detective Hart stated that he had interviewed Hornby at 11 p.m. on July 31 regarding a series of burglaries. Hornby accompanied witness to the South Dunedin police station, and on being questioned made a statement admitting the offences. After Hornsby was arrested a medal, which had been identified by Mr Galbraith, was found in his possession. Sergeant Murray gave evidence that he and Detective Fnrqnharson interviewed Ferguson, who was taken to the police station and questioned regarding the robbery at the Milk Supply Company’s premises. The accused admitted his guilt, and later on made a statement. A jemmy and an electric torch were found on Ferguson. Detective Farquharson corroborated Sergeant Murray’s evidence. On searching Hornby’s home, they found a quantity of tobacco, and other articles, additional articles were found at Ferguson's home. The accused pleaded guilty, and were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. An order was made that the goods recovered be returned to their owners.