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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144669, 1 May 1915, Page 2

On February 2 last a Wellington resir dent lost a cheque- for £9 and immediately stopped payment. Two days later a restaurant-keeper took the cheque to the bank, which, of course, refused to pay out on it. A report was then made to the police, and the' matter was put in the hands of Detective Abbott. On Wednesday that officer arrested Samuel Swayne Fleetwood, second cook on the Mapourika and previously on the Talune. Fleetwood admitted that he had found the cheque, in the street and cashed it when lie had had a meal, receiving £8 10s in c%sh. He would be willing to refund the money if 'given an opportunity. Chief-Detective Boddam said that Fleetwood was a first of- ■ fender. Under the circumstances,. Mr. 0. Cruickshank, S.M.. admitted accused to probation for six months, on condition that he refunded the money dishonestly obtained. Three boys of ages ranging from 12 to 15 years came before Mr; E. C. Cutten. S.M., at Auckland on Wednesday, as the result, of the systematic robbing of the Gas Company’s slot meters. Two of the lads had made a practice of watching for houses where tenants were’ shifting, and of at once slipping into the untenanted place and opening the receiver of the .shilling slot gas-meters and taking what cash they found there; They visited six houses in this manner, on one occasion being accompanied by a third boy, and made a.total haul of. 15s from the meters. One of the lads, who was looked on as-the moving--spirit in the scheme, had been in trouble before, mid he w.as committed to an industrial school. His regular companion, who had a good home and sohool H report; was convicted, and put on' probation, while thf third boy, who had been concerned' in only one theft, was admonished and discharged. At Whiteley Church!-to-raorrow evening (in keeping with the universal observance of the day as -Biblo Sunday), the Rev. A. B. Chappell will preach on “The Growth of the Bible/ 5 The anthem will be Oliver King’s setting of “Abine with Me.” A retiring collection will be-taken for the British and Foreign Bib'e Society.*