A JUVENILE OFFENDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19446, 4 November 1925, Page 10

A JUVENILE OFFENDER

THEFT OF A BICYCLE. GIRL ADMITTED TO PROBATION. At the Juvenile Court yesterday morning, before Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., a young girl was charged with the theft at Wanganui East on October 12, of a gent’s bicycle, the property of Fred 11. Allen. The charge was later reduced to one of unlawfully converting the cycle to her own use. Detective Revell pointed out that the girl had been working in Wanganui, but left her employment and went to Wellington and thence to Carterton. Subsequently she returned to Wanganui, and decided to go to work for Mr E. Whiteman. She stole the cycle, and on the day she committecd the offence proceeded as far as Mr Glenn’s farm, where she stayed the night. The following day, the accused had explained, the chain came off the bike, and it went over a cliff, but was recovered by some farmers. Arrangements, added the detective, had been made for the girl to be admitted to Mt. Magdala Home, at Christchurch.

The mother of the girl appeared and stated that she found that she could not control her daughter at home. The Magistrate decided to admit the girl to probation for a term of three years, in order that private arrangements could be made for her to enter the home for that period. After considering the file presented to him, His Worship said that the accused did not seem to deserve a good deal of lenient treatment. The incident in respect to which she was charged. was the least blameable of the whole peculiar mean acts she had committed in Wellington, but for which she was not charged. In return for kindness shown, she had written a

booing and ungrateful letter to the person who had befriended her. The magistrate was of the opinion that there must be a bad streak in the accused to tempt her to do that. In conclusion, he expressed the hope that she would respond to the training of the Sisters at the Home.