SENT TO BORSTAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20906, 21 December 1929, Page 8

SENT TO BORSTAL.

BOY’S DARING DEEDS.

DYNAMITE TO OPEN SAFES,

Daring exploits of a youth in raiding golf clubs and private houses and using explosives to open safes .were related at the Old Bailey, where William Clarke, aged 17, labourer, -pleaded guilty to stealing £25 13s . Id,. belonging to the Old Fold Manor Golf Club, Ltd.; breaking into the office of the West Herts Golf Club, and stealing £9l 14s 6d, and other.property; and possessing 301 detonators and a quantity of gelignite. The lad’s experiences were-described in detail in a statement he made, to Detective' Sergeant Dawson, of Scotland Yard. In this he declared that he met a man named George Sullivan, who, he alleged, suggested that they should both go to Ilford, and steal bicycles. About September last year, they decided to go outside London and break into Louses and clubs, and they broke into a number of places. Among them was a parson’s house at Burnt Ash Hill,- near Lee Green, where they took some silver and : about £25 in £5 notes, and £2 ,10s in ordinary money. The two lads next gdt into the Royal Blackheath Golf Clubhouse, near Mottingham, by climbing a waierpipe, and .stole silver cups and two gold medals and cigarettes. Sullivan disposed ,of the property and gave Clarke £7 10s. That was in March this year. Three 'weeks later they broke into a large house near Sidcup, and secured a lot of silver, which was sold by Sullivan, who gave him £4 10s.- A week after , that they broke into 4 golf clubhouse neat Barnet, and got £26, which they took out of a'drawer. They then decided to go up-countiy, and they broke into a. magazine outside Wellingborough and stole a'lot of detonators, and about 401 b i of gelignite, and also about £5 10s out of a safe. They returned to London, and, after staying there a few days, went to Southend. While there they broke into another golf house, which, he thought, was called the Bell Friars Clubhouse, Leigh-on-Sea. They blew up a safe and took about £55, and left the safe on the lawn outside the golf house. On or about August x they went to Watford, and broke into a golf clubhouse, which, he thought, was called “ The Nest.” It was near a big park, and they had to cross a canal to get to it. They got In by breaking a window, and blew up the safe and took about £59.

Then they both returned to London, and Sullivan went away, and promised to write when he came back. Clarke went on to say that he and Sullivan broke into a number of other places during the last 12 months, hut he could not remember any besides those he had mentioned. He did not know where Sullivan now was. Prisoner added that he had told the police about these jobs, because he wanted everything cleared up, so that he could make a fresh start.

In reply to a question from Judge Gregory, Detective Sergeant declared that the statment made by Clarke was true. Judge Gregory, in ordering that Clark should go to a Borstal institution for_ three years, observed that he was satisfied that the youth was a person of criminal tendencies. Borstal treatment would be conducive to his reforma - tion. He would be taught a trade an£ learn to live differently.