INFANT AND HANDBAG.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11784, 23 August 1916, Page 5

INFANT AND HANDBAG.

; A TALE OF BRIGHTON EEACH. A midget of a boy who looked nearei ; fire thai! nine, and for whom Mr M : Donnelly appeared, was charged befor< Mr T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., to-day, witl ■ the theft at Now Brighten of n lady'i bag containing two £1 notes and othei money and goods valued at £5. Whei lie was charged with the theft ho look' | ed vacantly around the Court, taking jin the surroundings rather than the charge. He wore a baby's size in browr ! woollen gloves, and was neatly dressed | Sub-Inspector Mullany said that the j boy had found the bag on the beaclr I and had shown it to another boy. A 1 ! first he denied any knowledge of the bag, but afterwards said that he gave !it to his father. Later he had said j that he put it back 011 a seat neai the beach. Mr Donnelly said that the boy had been threatened with a ruler by a, detective at the police station, and the soul had been frightened out of him. ! He had been terrorised into accusing ; his father. ! The Sib-Inspector said that the boy I had been examined in front of the | schoolmaster, and had stoutly denied j knowing anything of the bag. He told j lies about it from the very first, and ; only admitted having found the bag ! when confronted with the boy who had ! seen him with the bag. I Sergeant Lopdell gave evidence that j Mrs Stiange reported the loss of the j bag in February, and he examined the I boy and two others in the presence of | the schoolmaster, and they all denied jit Subsequently the boy's elder brother ( told him that the. little bey had had j the bag, and he then admitted that he j had had the bag, and had given it, to ! V-'- >t i" the bedroom. "He then telephoned for a detective, ! aha Detective b\ onnor accompanied him to the house, where the boy's 1 mother denied any knowledge of the bag, and invited them to search the house. "When the father came to the detctive oflico the boy said that he did not want to get his father into trouble, and had told an untruth when lie had said that lie gave it to his father, and ne had really taken it back and placed it on a seat on the bench. When the boy was first taken to tho police station he was questioned for about ten minutes, and Detective O'Connor then produced a ruler from the drawer and shaking it at him said, " Now tell me tho truth." They were desirous rather of protecting the father against tho boy's falsehoods. 'To Mr Donnelly: The boy had first) denied nli knowledge of the bag,, and then had persisted in saying that he gave it to his father. It was only when the father came to the station that the bo\ changed his story, remarking that he did not want to get his father into gaol Up till the time the father arrived the boy had persisted that, be gave it to his father. They were very patient and considerate with the boj*. Mr Donnelly pressed the sergeant to give details of the conversation in ex-' amining the boy, but the sergeant said that he could only remember the purport Of it. ; The Magistrate said that this was j too much to expect, as the examination took place five months ago. He I

remarked that very like!}' Mr Donnelly, on going outside the Court, would fail to remember many of the cf.ic-stions he had put to the sergeant and the replies he had received. In further cross-examination, the witness said that when Detective O'Con- J , nor rapped the table with the ruler ho I said, "Did you give it to your lather?" At this stage the Magistrate had the little boy brought round to his seat, and conducted a short tete-a-tete directed cowards the discovery of the truth. The result was to send the little boy back to his rather, with the remark that nothing could be done. The caii- would be dismissed, .lie could not make any order. I'ho Sub-inspector pressed for an order against the father. ,Mr Donnelly replied that if the money could have been traced to the father lie should have been charged, instead of bringing the little child int-o Court. The money could bo sued lor 1:1 the civil Court. The Sub-inspector submitted that as uio boy had had the bag and contents ' an order ocalc be made. i The Magistrate said that he would consider the point. At a Later stage Mr Donnelly asked whether it was intended to •proceed against the fatkar for receiving. Tka Magistrate said that oa the evidence of the boy there was no cas« against the father, but he would make aa order against the father to repay tho value of the bag and contents. The police thereupon vrithdreiv the case against the father.