THE ROAD TO CRIMINALILTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 953, 25 April 1889, Page 11

THE ROAD TO CRIMINALILTY.

Three little boys .named James Hall (11 years), Uoh&fi ''Wilson (ll years), apfl 4 lb ? r $ Qijjspu. (10 years) were fought '.before,, Messrs G. Fenwick and GK P. Farquhar, J.P.s, at the City Police Court on Saturday morning, charged' 0Q remand with breaking and entering the shop of Robert Browfn, in George street, and stealing therefrom confectionery to the value; of 9d, and Id in money;

Sergeant O'Neill said that as the evidence was slight jn this case.he, would ask to Jbe allowed to substitute a charge of larceny .agajjist^be lads. The Bench consented to the information, being so altered, and eejch of the culprits then pleaded guilty .tbthe charge. gergeant O,Neiil said "the facts of 'the case werettijit the b6ys were, found inside.^He shop by Mr Brown >hen, ne'reljurne^ to it at ll o'clock in the" 'eveaing." They were, helping thetniel\res freely to lollies, and had obtained an entrance by scaling a wajl about sft high at the back of tb'e premises, and then fprcipg their vray through a brokeh window over which some calico had been 1 fastened. Hall had been twice conricted of larceny, and was spoken of. very badly by his., parents. Hall's mother,, who was present, said she could not' get him to go to school, and that he was beyond her control. He sometimes slept out of a night. The' Bench remarked that it was a shocking thing for boys like those to be allowed to wander about at night, and it could only end one way. It was one pi the worst things' that, parents could do to let; their children wander about the streets at' night.

The father of Wilson was not in, court, and this was severely commented on by the Bench, who i said l his absence showed a want of proper feeling in the matter, and a want of respect to the court. '

A brother of Wilson's who was present explained that' his father was employed on the railway, and , was unable to be there. The Bench thought that he could certainly have obtained permission to attend the court in such

a case as this.

The brother proceeded to say that the lad was beyond' c6ntrol; they could do nothing with him.

Mr Fen wick: It is perfeotly disgraceful for you to say so. The father of the boy Gibson, said he also was unable to contrpl his son. Sergeant-major Bevin: When the theatre is open, yp.ur Worships, there are crowds of these boys abou^t the s&leyards of a night. Mr Fen wick : It is simply disgraceful to think that these small children. should be allowed to carry on of a night as they do. It is disgraceful that the, parents should come to this court and confess tha,t they' are beyond their control. They are much more to blame than the children themselves, and it is in this way that the criminal class begin their career in Dunedin. It is hard to' know what to do with the boys ; we cannot very well send them to gaol.

Mr Phillips, of the gaol, said the boy Wilson seemed to feel his position keenly, but as far as Hall wa/3 concerned .he had gone about the gaol whistling in a yery indifferent manner. The Bench reiterated their condemnation of the action of the parents, and ordered Hall to receive six strokes with the birch rod and the other boys three strokes each. ,