MAGISTERIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5747, 15 August 1893, Page 4

MAGISTERIAL

TIMARU— MOVDAT, ACGUSI 14TH.

(Before C. A. Wray Esq., 8.M.) FOXJIi CHIMNEY. For allowing a chimney to catoh fire on Saturday evening, P. Palleson.raaster mariner, waa fiued 5s and costs. PKTT3T THBETfI, Two boys named Gibbs, and one named Black, 10} to 12 years old, were charged with stealing on the 10th and 12th inst., two jelly diehoa and a vase value 2e 6d, the property of B. Bowie, and an iron kettle value 4i, the property of J. S. Bennett. ".be articles wera missed, the losses rep <»Ud, and Detective Livingstone found that they had been sold to Mr B. Webster, furniture dealer. In eaoh case the articles were tuken from among goods displayed outside the respective shops. The boy Blaok admitted stealing the kettle, and one of the Gibbs boya that he took some of the other things. The third boy denied that he had any hand m the business,' and the others supported him. Mr Webster was called to explain how he came to buy suoh things from youngsters, and stated that he was sent for by Mrs Blaok to buy some small articles of furniture, as the; ware hard up— plates, dishes eto. He bought some and Mrß Black sent them down by the boy m a bag. Among them were the glass things, which he had not bought, and the boy said his mother asked for sixpence for them. Told him he had not a sixpence, only shillings, and the boy took them away, and returned with them and a oouple of plates, and he then gave the boy a shilling for the lot. Naturally supposed the mother sent the whole of the things. The three boys, he thought, came together, and he supposed they were all of one family. Later on the same boy brought a kettle and said his mother wanted a shilling for that. Supposed this sale was made by the mother for the same reason as the former one, and gave the boy the shilling. Afterwards he noticed that the kettle had not been used, and then he suspected that he would hear more about it. Mrs Black emphatically and tearfully denied that she ever saw any of the things or knew anything about them. Mrs Gibbs admitted that her boys had played truant from sohool all last week, unknown to her until this morning. The lad who had denied that he was concerned m the matter, was dismissed 1 the other two were ordered six strokes ot a rod m the presence of their parents. Hie Worship remarked that It was a mistake, an objectionable praotioe, to expose goods on or beside the footpaths.