CRIMES OF YOUTH.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18622, 28 April 1932, Page 2

CRIMES OF YOUTH.

ADMISSIONS IN SYDNEY. Before an audience of detectives in the C. 1.8. room at Balmain police station, says a Sydney paper, a 10-vear-old - thief, after being charged with 16 cases of stealing from telephone coin receptacles, told a remarkable story of his experiences, escapade? and methods. lie was arrested by Constables Lament and OXborough, as he walked from a telephone booth at Balmain post office with his pockets filled with pennies. Despite Ills youth and good appearance, police state that the young man was an expert, and had served several sentences for similar robberies. The youth related hi? unusual habit, of always replacing I lie coin tin after removing the money. “On one night in the early days,” lie went on, “1 had commit led a Job and while ducking out of the booth, leaving the money box on ttie floor, thereby disabling the telephone set, a young woman ran forward and, brushing past me, entered.

Wanted Ambulance. “I waited outside and watched her fruitlessly attempt to ring an ambulance. It appears there had been an accident to her brother, and she was calling for help. After that I always replaced the box under any circumstances. He also described how on several occasion? he had narrowly evaded police after committing a theft. In oqe instance, he alleges, he was opening a box, when a man came to the door and said lie desired to use the •phone. “I told him to go away, as I was busy, and he did so,” said the young man. His only tool was a thin, finelytempered chisel. Deieclivo-Rergeanfs Hogan and Flemming, who planned the campaign for the man’s arrest, staled lltal Ihe above story, which was inld In them and oilier deteclivcs, was undoubtedly truth fill, as they knew their man.

Altogether, nearly 50 robberies from telephone-boxes have hern committed in the last three months.