JUVENILE THIEVES

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 6

JUVENILE THIEVES

BOY.S BEFORE THE COURT. A sitting of the Juvenile Court was held on the Bth inst., Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., presiding. '±wo .boys were cnarged with entering the premises of the Oceanic Packing Company Ltd., during the. Christmas holidays " and committing mischief, whereby damage to the extent of £l3O was done. The boys pleaded guilty. Chief Detective Bishop stated that these boys got into the complainant's warehouse by a back window and committed a great deal of damage. Anyone not seeing the place as it was left by the boys, would not credit that these small fellows could have been guilty of the damage complained of. Almost £SO worth of mixed labels were strewn all over the floor, and packets of cornflour, bags of flour, bottles of glycerine, and packets of baking powder were thrown down the stairs. In addition the bung had been knocked out of a cask of oil, which was allowed to run out on to the floor. Detective Sergeant Kemp and Detective Hall investigated the matter, and the boys admitted having committed the offence. The boys also destroyed clothes belonging to employees, and by smashing glass bottles, interfered with the sanitary conveniences. One of the boys at first denied all knowledge of the matter, but subsequently, when traced by means of the peculiar marking of his boots, which had left their prints on the ground at the rear of the premises, he admitted the offence. The mother of one of the boys was a widow and was a very respectable woman. She had no means and could not make good any portion of the damage. The parents of the other boy were hafd working people. Mr Axelsen: Some gmger wine on the premises was largely responsible for their capers.

Mr Dawson, who appeared for one of the boys, said this was really a shocking matter. He had seen the premises, but the reason for all that was done had been suggested by Mr Axelsen. These boys wrongfully vent into the complainant's premises with the idea of getting some cordials. They had a look round and found a barrel of ginger wine. They drank some of it, and then began their capers. He suggested that they were not responsible for their actions at the time. He urged that the boy for whom he appeared be given a chance and placed under some control in the city rather than sent away to any institution.

Mr Axelsen said that one of the boys had been in the_ habit of playing In and around the premises with the son of one of the members of the company. The Magistrate said it was unfortunate that these boys, who were little more, than infants, should bo

before the court on such a charge. The excessive wantonness of the damage seemed to him to suggest that they were out of their senses as a result of over-indulgence in stimulants. He found great difficulty in dealing with the children. They were too young for the court to order them to be birched. Something should be done to keep an oversight of them. They would be ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and they would be put under the supervision and control of Mr Axelsen, Another boy, for breaking a window and an electric globe and light, of the value of 14s, the property of the Oceanic Packing Company, Ltd., was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, on condition that his father gave him a thrashing. Two boys were charged with the theft of 25s in. pennies, »and a book valued .at ss, the property of Henry H- Driver. One of the boys was further charged with the theft of 7s 6d and post cards, foreign 6tamps, and postage stamps, of the value of 3s 6d Chief Detective Bishop said that one of the boys worked at Mr Driver's shop and knew where the money was kept. He got the other boy to go. with him to the shop during the Christmas holidays and help him to get into the premises through a back window. Later on, one of the boys went back to the shop and took the goods. The other boy was also charged with the theft of a Daisy air rifle, a pocket knife, 'a cricket ball, a pocket compass, some medals and crackers, and other articles, of the value of £3, the property of Laidlaw and Gray, Ltd. Nearly all these articles had been recovered.

The Magistrate said that these lads had been before the court for theft-Jess than 12 months ago. They were warned then, but they had not appreciated the warning. The offences review showed a certain amount of scheming to avoid detection. He would have to take such a course as would impress upon the boya that they must not do these things. On the first charge they would each be ordered to receive seven strokes of the birch, and for the other offences they would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, the condition being that they remained under the control of Mr Axelsen.