A DISTRESSING HOUSING MORNING'S WORK

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 1 May 1913, Page 3

A DISTRESSING HOUSING MORNING'S WORK

THREE JUVENILES CHARGED

WITH CRIME

LACK OF PARENTAL CONTROL

THE CURFEW BELL SUGGESTED.

"SPARE THE HOT) AXD SPOIL THE

_ is the most distressing -morning s work I have ever been connected with in my thirty-five years' experience as a police officer,'' said Detective Siddclls at a sitting of the Juvenile Court, over which Mr W. Kerr, S.M., presided, yesterday morning. The business v.-as distressing for tho parents of the accused boys, distressing for the Magistrate, and distressing for tlie^police.

Tho first case called was that of a lo years old boy, who admitted two charges -of breaking and entering houses at Wanganui East and .at Aranioh.o.

The circumstances, as narrated by the detective, wore that the boy entered a, house at Wanganui East, but w.as seen by tho occupant, ■and decamped. He stole a shilling, which was left outside- tho door /for Rome domestic purpose. The boy left this house, .and wont directly over to Ar.nmoho, where he entered1 a house there. The detective said that .unfortupjately he had to bring before the notice ci the Court that a great amount of crime had been committed in Wanganui late|ly by boys. Although he did not pay that tikei llefer.id.ant was JV^pooisihTo for all this, ret ho had .admitted other I offences with which it was not proposed that ho should be charged. The I public had to bo "protected, and the boy was fortunate that he was, caught lAt this stage of his bad earner. I Mr T.rsaclwell, who appeared far the hoy, admitted that the fad had behaved shockingly. He explained that the case was a most distressing one far the parents. The defendant was one of a family of five, and his eldest -brother, a lad" of eighteen, was suffering from serious diseases, and was at tho noint of death. Mr. Treadwell produced documents showing that while at schooi the boy had borne an* excellent j?harfieter and was of exemplary conduct. He had done well iat school and had carried off various pi-izes. It was extraordinary that this state of things should come about. Whether it was due to. boys reading novels, or attending the picture shows, counsel could not say. The defendant had attended the Technical School .at night. and instead of returning straight" homo had rpcmt' his tf'me in th,'c streets -and in attending picture shews. Mr. Tread-' well pleaded, for the sake of the mrents, not to send the defendant- to the industrial Gchonl. From his experience in many years' practice he had; ;§c«rfnid; jio 'advantage wkb gained by sending ia lad to the industrial school, for it had tho- effect of making them careless and indifferent. Boys who had spent their youth in an institution of that kind had frequently appeared in the police courts on more l?.oxious chargesl. Mr Treadwell said that ho spoke- from tho fulness of his heart, and.urged that boy« should not bo sent to an industrial school ttxcept as a last recourse. It would be a very good thing, counse' lproeeeded, if legislation could be introduced with a view to keeping boys \a.nd girls off the streets at night, and he held that if the good old* curfew boll system "Tvere instituted it would exercise an influ- ] once- for good. He said that it should be the constant endeavour of judges, magistrates, counsel and police to save the boys, and his experience- of the police -of Wanganui assured him that they had no desire to punish thorn unnecessarily. In reply to the Magistrate, Mr. Treadwell' stated that the father had informed him that tho defendant _ had attended the technical school at night, and had patronised the picture shows in town afterwards, and this had led from one thing to another. Mr T.readwell pointed -out the lack of parent:!i control which existed, and emphasised the importance of parents making companions of their children. Too often ii- cccuired that when children reached the age of 1-5, parents considered that tl:py wervj ■cr-.pabllo 'oi (loqyjng .riftov themselves, wlieroas at this .ago, in both girls and boys, it was the most critoal noirod in thoir lives, iand they required the strict observation of their pinirciite. Th-i'S. Mir Trcadw'ell hrfd, Avas the crux of the present evil. In the ease liefore tho Court lie •enrncGtjy asked his Worship to give the boy a* cliance. It was proposed ti afc the boy should be pin cod at work with his fatho 1", .who would take every care vi him and his conduct. Ho ia-skrJ that tho boy be ordered to come up for sentenco when c-allod iindn, and that the hoy ho 111 ado to realise that should he offend again, the present charge would be brought against him. His Worship addressed the offender, and said that ho echoed Mr Tread well's.-; sentiments exactly. Parents were too indulgent to their children, and did not inflict • enough physical chastisement on them. He said that the deK/ndant had brought about a disgraceful and humiliating state of affairs. He belonged to reputable parents, who Lad educated him weil. His Worship ienrinded tho boy of the position in which he had placed his parents, particularly his mother, and impressed, upon him' that ho would always have a black mark against his name. Hi.s Worship convicted the offender, and ordered him to receive 12 strokes of the birch, six for each offence Tho caso was marked by til* deepest feeling of sympathy for the boy's parents by all' present, and during the hearing, the Bench, as well as others in attendance, v.t.g visibly affected. Two other boys, one older than the other,- wore charged with stealing . n kotll" of claret, valued at 55.. and with < doing mischief to tire /"\ent of £'S. Both5 boys pleaded iguiu, x Mr A. ■ Hogg appeared for the younger olfcnULiselcetM'o Siddolls statc-tl thnt |he l,ovs, with pea-rifles, had pcrfomtecl a laiik on the nroT-erlv of Mr Mixlhurst, Tl'ev then entered Mr Mc-dhur.sts I'O'ise and ransacked- tho clothing and food 'in th.-c hou.so. Evcrytliing was turned upside-down, and in hi.s opinion thn danrigo done was worth much nun'o than £S. Tho worst future of tho car,e, continurd ,*-hc detective., was tint they found liquor, and, sprc:ulinK o f^ast in the dining room, ate and drank at will. They became intoxicated. Several articles were mining from tlio hon^ but whether they were taken by ih^'o boys ho wns unable to ray. Mr Siddells Vxpre-sca jri-cat sympatny f Ol . tho bov.s' paints As far. as was known, the younger Voy had 1^ • .1 l.ith.ertr, clean life, but he was 6on> to cay that sovt-ral coiunhmts Hyl l-.'-cn' received in connection wit a misc'hiof pernetratcd by the older offender.Tt was stntorl that the house had been ransacked before the defendants cntorC:lTho younger boy, who h niidor mwlicni care, was discharged, while Ins com.,aiii,on was firM'c}. to vorttivo r:x of tho birch frr-m Ins fatnr) Pi- Worship psse^sed the amount ot ;^r£.n..d ordered the pnront of -h^ elder boy to nay £3, and the miv-nt 01 the younger 'l'»t L--