JUVENILE COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 13

JUVENILE COURT.

(Before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M.) A sitting of the Juvenile Court was he'd on the 7tn, when a boy aged seven years and nine months was committed to the Cavorsham Industrial School, owing to ins parents being in indigent circumstances. A second case occupied the attention of the court for some time. A youth was charged with a breach of the industrial Schools Act, and with not being under proper control.—-Mr Axclsen explained that the defendant had been under his care for four years, and when he took him he had been neglected and allowed to run about at will. He took charge of'the boy and his sister at the request of the police at Alexandra, and the father was supposed to pay for the keep of the children at the Presbyterian Homo. Everything went,well until the boy was able to work, when the father, who had not contributed one shilling towards the support of the children, had written a letter to the son suggesting that he should run away from him, and, in order to get away from his control, he should take another name. The letter also contained a statement to the olfect that the father did not want the daughter until she had left school, and on that account ho did not want to fall out with Mr Axelsen. The boy had been working on farms. Ho had already come in contact with the police, and had been ordered to come up for sentence when called upon for using obscene language at Tiinaru. Mr Axelsen said be had also received an account from a South Canterbury storekeeper—in which district the boy had been employed—for 255, for goods obtained under false pretences. This account, however, was paid by the boy's late employer, with whom he had been placed by him (Mr Axelsen). The next thing ho heard of him was that he had absconded from this employer, and that lie was working for a Mr Munro in Central Otago. However, as Mr Munro was satislied to keep him, he (Mr Axelsen) consented to his remaining there. Not long after he received a complaint from Mr Munro to the effect that the boy had been to a neighbouring town and had got under the influence of liquor. Mr Axelsen said he then had the boy brought to town ami got him an appointment with an engineering firm in the city. He apparently liked the business, and was taking an interest in it, until his father urged him to run away, which he did a fortnight ago. He thought the boy could be well managed if he was not interfered with by his father. He was prepared to give the boy another chance so long as ho was safeguarded from the interference of the father. The fir], who was only 12 years of age, should be cared for, and he was anxious to protect her, but it would be impossible for this to bo done if the children were not placed beyond the control of their father. He suggested that the boy should bo committed to nn industrial school, but that the warrant be suspended. and that he (Mr Axelsen) have authority over him.—Mr W. C. MacGregor, who appeared for the boy. instructed by the father, asked the age of the boy.— Mr Axelsen said that he was just under 16 years. —Mr MacGregor said that the father stated that the boy was nearly 17 years old.—At this stage the case was adjourned until 5 p.m. in order that the exact ago of the boy might bo ascertained.—When the court resumed Sub-inspector Fouliy stated that a telegram received from the Alexandra police showed that the boy’s age was 16 years and seven months.—Mr Widdowson

said he was satis lied tliat the proceedings wore taken in the best interest of the boy. The father had shown very poor appreciation of Mr Axolsen’s kindness towards the bo' - within the past four years. The case would bo dismissed.—After the case had been disposed of and the boy liberated from custody, Mr Axclscn handed over the littio girl into her brother’s keeping.