MISCHIEVOUS LADS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19848, 17 January 1920, Page 9

MISCHIEVOUS LADS.

THEFTS AND WILFUL DAMAGE. DEALT WITH BY JUVENILE COURT. Quite a number of small boys appeared before Mr V'. G. Day. S.M.. at the Juvenile Court this morning- Th" lust lot to come before the Bench consisted of a trio of boys—two brothers aged eleven and nine years respectively., and another lad aged nine. There was a fourth culprit to the oflence of damaging two. bags of pollard, valued los, in the railway goods yards at Addington. This lad, aged twelve it was stated,^ was at Avoca- Ho Was a brother of tho first mentioned two and it had been impossible to bring him to town, ns he bad no boots, and his mi uen i' s M Cro * n P° or circumstances. Ihe family were presently going to Avoca where tho father was working as a miner. Sergeant O’Gradv said that it was purely a matter of mischief. The hoys had ripped the bags open, and had a free fight with the pollard. One of the parents: How is it that tho pollard was valued previously at 12s 6d, and it is now worth 18s? Sergeant O’Grady replied that an error had been made. ihe lads in Court pleaded guilty, and tho Magistrate ordered that the parents of the three brothers! should pay three quarters of the value of the pollard, and the other laci s parents one quarter. '' Yon know,” said Mr Day, "that you must not interfere with other people’s property. You will he given this chance, and tho case will bo adjourned for three months.” A quartet of lads were then lined up alongside the Clerk of tho Court’s desk. .They included two brothers, aged ten years and nine years respectively, and two other boys of eleven years. ” Thev were charged, with tho ‘ theft at St Albans on December 27 last, of a cigarette case, valued at £4 10s, a gold and greenstone tie pin, valued at los. a gold bracelet valued at £2 10s, a silver medal valued 1 at 12s 6d, a. bracelet valued at 4s Cd, a pocket knife valued at Is 6d, a Persian kitten valued at 21s; <lB bottles valued at 12s, and 5s Id in money, the property of William Daywood. J The boys all pleaded guilty. Sergeant O’Grady said that the bovs were living close to Mr Havwood’s residence. 'While Mr and Mrs Havwood were away on holiday a sister of one of the accused was engaged to look after the place, and the lads entered it. Most of the property, tho total value of which was £lO Is 7d. had been recovered. The lads apparently had had a good time m the bouse, playing the piano, tossing tho beds about and eating cake. Tho older of the brothers bad been convicted before of wilful damage, and was a very nndntiful boy. Ilfs mother had to go into hospital, while bis father was fighting with the Imperial forces in Siberia. Mr Day pointed out the serious nature of the offence to the lads and said that if they did anything like it again they might lie sent to gaol. Ho would ortiei that they should report to the Probation Officer each week, and hi tho meantime the eases would be adjourned for six months. “ You arc not to go to the pictures for six months,” concluded tho Magistrate, or to bo out after dark.” In addition the other lads were ordered not to associate in future with tho other two brothers. Each lad was ordered to pay 3s 2d, a due share of the value of the unrecovered property. A lad aged twelve pleaded guilty to stealing two paint brushes, valued at 2ls< . The theft had been committed in association with another lad who did not appear. The accused said he took tho brushes because ho wanted some money. They had been sold for 2s. 'lhe police stated that the hoy had been convicted of theft in 1917—a box of chocolates from a picture theatre. The lad was convicted and his mother ordered to pay Is. He was prohibited attending picture shows, or to be out after dark for a period of six months. In addition tho lad was ordered to report to tho Probation Officer for six months, and tho case was adjourned for that nenod, - _ ,

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