Magisterial.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 349, 26 June 1869, Page 2

Magisterial.

CHRI3TCUURCH. This Day. (Before C. C. Bowen, Esq., P.M.) Vodthful Shoplifters— Frederick Smith, ten years, Alexander Kyan, eleven years, and Arthur Faraey, nine years, were brought up in custody, charged with having stolen four whips from the shop of Mr G. P. Daye, general denier, Colombo street. Constable Con way sail: From information received he went to the house of Smith's father, and,fluding the boy in, charged him with having stolen the whi s, at the tame time giving him the usual caution. In reply, he said that he had been in company with Ryan and Furncy, and that Ryan stole them. Ho alao added that Hyan had sold two of them to a carrier fo* 2s, and that the other two were secreted under the church in Montreal street. Witness went there, and found the two produced, which had been identified by Mr Dayo as his property. Witness went in search of Ryan, and, finding him at home, chnrged and cautioned him iv the same m .inner as Smith. Ryan denied all knowledge of the theft, or that he had been iv company with Smith on the occasion referred to. Farney M'ns next arrested, and he made a statement precisely the same as that made by Smith, who could not have communicated with him in the meantime, as he was in the custody of Sergt. Pratt. G. P. Daye was called, and identified the whips as his property, bnfc did not recognise any of (he boys as having been at his shop. Thomas Haskett, saddler, Tuam street, said the prisoner Ryan called at his shop, and offered the two whips produced for sale, ut Ib each. Neither of the other prisoners were with him. Witness declined to purchase them. James Charles Burbury, general dealer, Colombo street south, said the three prisoners ha J been to his chop with the two whips for. sale, but he refused to buy them.' James Fleming'adduced to the prisoners Ryan and Smith offering him some whips for sale, saying that they had been given to them by Mrs Daye to dispose of. He did not. purchase any of them, but saw a carrier buy two. He did not know the man's name. The boys declined to make any statement, and, in reply to the Bench, their parents, who were In attendance, 6aid they were all regular attendants at school. . Hiß Worship said, he ihought, on the evidence, that Smith and Farney had been led into the act by Ryan, who was much older. He appeared to bo the one who had stolen the whips, and had told a lie, whilst the others had readily stated all they knew about the theft. Ryan would therefore have to be severely whipped, and, as the matter was a serious one — not only theft, but leading younger boys into crime — he would also be locked up until Monday. . . Smith was certainly not much younger than Kyan, and the Bench yrere sorry to^eeTie had gone to so many places with Ryan lo dispose of the

stolen articles. Although, therefore, he had told the truth when questioned about the matter, he had acted very wrongly, and must have known it. He would accordingly be locked up until four o'clock, and it was to be hoped that the position he had been placed . in would be a warning to him in future. . Farney was a very young boy, but must see '* what unpleasantness his conduct had brought him to, and it would be sufficient to point to tTie position Ryan had placed himself in as a. - le3son. He would be dismissed; but he must ' understand that, if brought up again, it would be a very serious disgrace to him. The boy promised his Worship that he would be more ; careful in future in associating with other ■" boys. Inspector Pender said, from what he had seen of Ryan, he was quite hardened in 5 the matter. That morning he hud laughed '-. and joked about the theft, as if he did not ' care for the conseqxiences at all. His Worship said he would find it no laughing matter, and ' ' reiterated his instructions respecting a severe ; whipping.