JUVENILE DISHONESTY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1584, 14 June 1887, Page 4

JUVENILE DISHONESTY

A dlioovery, whioh points to an alarming prevalence of dishonesty among a section of the office hoys employed by the large mercantile firms of the oity, says the "Sydney Mornfng Herald" of May 16, has been made within the past weekbyDeteotiveH HoßKlononand Roohaix, It has been ascertained that for lome time past an extension traffic m postage stamps obtained by dishonest means from the offices cf their employers has been carried on between these lads and two Greeks nsmed Peter Sirrop and Charles Garablt, vendors of ice creams. The suspicions of the officers were aroused through large number b of boys being seen visiting thete characters, and a little jadioloas observation of their dealings together established the fact that men were m the habit of buying stamps from their juvenile customers. The. detectives resolved to obUln the fullest information possible, as to the extent of thiß system, and spent a week m watoblng the two establishments and tracing the boys, of whom they discovered no less than 60, to the houses of business m whioh they were employed. To assist m effecting this end two boys were hired, who proved themselves valuable auxiliary deteotlv?s. On Thursday the officers armed themselves with warrant!, and Btrested Slcrop and Garabit, and after Boarctilng their nt&llB, postage Btemps were fonnd to the valuable of between £2 and £3. That these represented the contraband treffio of one day is evidenced by the circumstance that the Greeks had been observed, whilst ' under Burveillanoe, to dispose of the stamps to a third party at the close of eaoh day.