BOY'S ESCAPADE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 19897, 15 September 1913, Page 5

BOY'S ESCAPADE.

"SILLY AXD DANGEROUS ACT."

AUCKLAND.. September 12. Isolation in Point Chevalier Hospital evidently proved irksome to a European boy of 15, and so, six days before the time of quarantine had expired, he put to sea in a boat accompanied by two girls whom he met on the beach. The youth was seen and called back almost at once. He did not know the name of his companions, so it has been impossible to isolate them as contacts.

Tho boy was brought before Mr. F. V. Fraser, S.M., in the Juvenile Court to-day, charged with leaving without permission a place where he was legally detained for isolation purposes. Dr. Spedding said that the boy Tiact been an epidemic /patient. On rii-, date of the episode he was convalescent, but as he was mixing wilTi other patients at the time, the boy was an extremely dangerous source of infection. Inmates had been warned that they must not go beyond certain boundaries.

For the defence it was suggested that i'lo-.-e \v{is :•',-> T)'-or)i?r boundary on. the .shore side of the hospital. The inmates wero allowed to bathe in the sea. and so defendant thought that he might boat.

His Worship said that the offence was 'i silly a:(l d:v-<r<>rou.s one, but was fortunately one which could not be re-n•>o-;-'v7 of sr.ch an offence in a wilful manner by an adult would meet with the maximum penalty of £50. Defendant was, however, on account of his youth, merely ordered to pay th" costs of the prosecution.

Several other summonses for similar offences hive b^en issued, but cannot ho served until the patients in qnost'on have been discharged from the hospital.