DISAPPEARANCE OF BICYCLES

Otago Witness, Issue 3293, 25 April 1917, Page 49

DISAPPEARANCE OF BICYCLES

! YOUTH CHARGED WITH THEFT. A youth 16 years of age, named 'Albert George Alexander, was brought before the City Police Court on Saturday morning on throe charges of stealing bicycles. He was undefended, and pleaded not guilty in each instance. The bicycles appropriated wore the property of Arthur Kirk Tatesoil, Edmund Dyer, and Ernest William Harrow Paton, arid were valued nt £5 10s, £4 and £7 10s. They were unattended, and disappeared, and were subsequently discovered in a second hand dealer's shop. Accused, in the first case, stated that he had met a man named John Fogo, with whom he had worked, at the Grand Hotel corner, and TTad been asked by Fogo to cell the bicycle for him, I as ho was too busy making preparations to I go into camp.—Sub-inspector Mathieson stated that the police had been unable to i find the man Fogo, and had come to the ! conclusion that that individual existed only in the youth's imagination. The bicycle had been taken to the second hand shop of Mr Tiltman. who had offered to purchase it for £l, but had subsequently declined to purchase it at all. The second bicycle had been sold to Mr Isaacs for £l, and Mrs Isaacs identified accused as the seller. The third bicycle was sold to Mr Michael O'Donnell for £l,, and in this and the previous ease, the accused's handwriting betrayed him. • Alexander flatly denied having been in the dealers' shops in the last two instances, said he knew* nothing of the bicycles, and 6tated that he had not

signed any paper in connection with these two machines. Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., who was on the bench, expressed the opinion that the systematic manner in which the thefts had been carried out showed that they were something more than boyish escapades. The worst feature of the case was tho way the accused had attempted to brazen out tho charges, each of which had been conclusively proved. This ehowed the character of the lad, and would influence him (tho Magistrate) in determining the course to be taken. He thought it was a matter for detention; but the accused not being under 16, this could not be clone under tho Industrial Schools Act. Ho would impose a sentence, which, however, would not be served. Aocused would be sentenced to one months' imprisonment on each charge, the warrant to be suspended pending an application to the Governor for the necessary authority to transfer the lad to an industrial 'school. Meanwhile, the lad would bo detained in prison, but kept separate from other prisoners. Mr Bartholomew added that he would not make any order to restore the £2 to the dealers concerned. They would have to suffer the los3. There should always be suspicion when a lad came along to sell a bicycle for a price which was considerably less than its value. The court had no sympathy with the dealers in these circumstances. The owners would receive their bicycles back.