THEFT OF TELESCOPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19903, 24 September 1926, Page 10

THEFT OF TELESCOPE.

A YOUTH FASCINATED. MAGISTRATE INFLICTS FINE. (Peb Umiid Pb-bb ASSOCIATION./ AUCKLAND, September 23. According to his counsel a telescope had a great laacmation for Andrew Alick Smith, a youth ot 20 years, who pleaded guilty at ttie Police Court to-day to a charge of having stolen a telescope valued at £25 the property o£ Henry Buer. Chief Detective Cummings said accused had been employed for three months by a motor carrier. While engaged in removing some stuff from a second-hand shop he took a telescope which was amongst tho articles bo was removing. When ques : tioned by the owner about the missing astronomical instrument. Smith denied having it. but later he became frightened and left it with a shopkeeper next door to the second-hand dealer’s shop. The telescope was handed to its owner. Mr A. S. C, Brown stated accused had never been in trouble before. He had never passed the fourth standard at school, and his parents were most respectable people. Smith had never had a telescope before, and it fascinated him somewhat. He went down to the wharves and watched the ships in the offing through the glass, parading about like Nelson on the quarterdeck said counsel. “There is an air of spurious paternity connected with the shop.”,, said Mr Brown, “for when I was passing it this morning 1 noticed that the name on the window was, “This is Dad’s shop.” Mr Brown thought a small fine would meet the rase. Accused was fined £2.