YOUTHFUL HOUSEBREAKER

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160796, 2 November 1920, Page 5

YOUTHFUL HOUSEBREAKER

LONG LIST OF THEFTS. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. This morning, in- the Police Court, a small sensation was caused by the extent of housebreaking operations to which a youth of 18 years pleaded guilty. Harold Alexander Stewart is his name, and although hehi at present serving a period of, probation on account of five co.* victions in July of last year for housebreaking and theft during tho last few months, he admitted having entered 13 houses dur ing the absence of dwellers and taking goods and cash aggregating nearly £3OO in value. His operations were evidently carried out with a fine eye for the conventions of suburban existence, for he attended to houses: in Remuera, Mt. Eden, Epsom, Parnell, and Dovonport, and in all cases he inspected were those of professional people who had gone out in the morning and would scarcely be expected to return before nightfall. In ©very instance, too, the wife and other members of the household had gone to town before the enterprising youth, mad© his call, and; on the return of the householders ffhey found their rooms ransacked. A multi--tude of witnesses all told the same tale of having been out, leaving everything secure and returning to find that some unlatched window had been opened, and cash, clothing, and jewels had mysteriously ‘vanished. The* actual goods charged up to the criminal account ot the boy included about a dozen gold and silver watches, men’s rings, tie pin's? purses, and wallets, a child’s moneybox, a collection of nmdals and sovereign cases, badges, brooches, bangles, -and medals, sundry pairs of white, black, and tan boots, overcoats, and a fairly large assortment of sundries. . A good proportion of the thefts were actual cash, none of which was recovered, and a large percentage of the missing jewellery was not restored. The youth had nothing to say In answer to a question by one witness, who testified to losing £5 in cash from her dwelling, accused said he had only found £3 10a of it. Otherwise, he. had no questions to ask, and he pleaded guilty to everything. He was committed for sentence.