BOY HOUSEBREAKERS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1610, 15 July 1887, Page 2

BOY HOUSEBREAKERS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

(Friday's "Pres*")

At a Court held m the old Provincial Council -Chamber yesterday morning three boyu, aged from fifteen to sixteen years, named John Albert Searle, Jo&n Ross, and Leonard Sellara, were charged with a series of offencea comprising i even charges of hoaaebrcakingand one of attempted arson. Mr McOonnel Appeared for Sellara, Mr Stringer for Ross. Searle was undefended. Inspector Pander conduoted the prooeoatlon. - * The prisoners were first oharged with breaking into and stealing certain article! from the Bhop of F. Gabltes, also with wilfully aefc'tlng fire to the premises, bpth oflfenoes on the night of June 15th. The prisoners admitted the hotisebreaklDg. &a, but denied the fire raining. According to the evidence adduced for the prosecution it appeared that the boyg wore arreßted at Holmes Bay for a totally different off jnoe by Constable McOorraack, They were at the time wearing some of the clothes which had been missed from the Bhop of Mr Gabites, Victoria street, after the fire, whloh occurred on the 15th of last month, and the origin of which was ohrouded In mystery. The artioleii whloh had been damaged and which were losb Mr Gabiteß valued, at £160. When the • lads were searched Searle .had a swag T in which were found a pair of trousers that an^ employee of Mr Gabltoa ideqtlfied aud a vest. Searle was wearing,' a hat whloh he said belonged to Gabitef. At Mrß Moss' house, Searle's sister," were recovered three silk squares, blaok and blue scarfs, a bottle of scent, and two-bits of tweed matching the trousers. At Ross' place were found a ooat, trouiera and vest and tie and a silk square ; at ■ Sellara' two scarfs, five silk squares^ a bottle of scent ; three bottles of toentc m the stable, and a silk square was on'aooused when he was arrested.. The lads had taken them home, and Sfearle gaye no account of how he became possessed of | them ; Sellara explained that his be got | at Gabltes 1 fire having picked them up as he saw other people doing* Rosa stated that his suit he bad bought. Every artlole recovered was identified as similar to thoaa on sale by .Mr Gabitea, and many of them bore his private mat k. ; o'onoerning the fire the evidence given went tar, show that a few minutes before the bell rang voices were hevd m Mr Gabitea' Bhop, and one remarked " Its alight.". More than one person wan heard running down the right-of-way, but no one was seen. Searle wheD at tho police statiou made a clean breast of the; affair by giving a voluntary statement which was read m Court. In that statement he confessed to. enteriug Mr Gabitea' shop, and taking the articles enumerated. • Ross and Sellara were with him at the time, and he startsd the fire by throwing a lighted mat oh which Ross gave him among some blankets and curtains; They^. then " planted " the goods and returned to the scene after the fire bell rang. Accused, who were cautioned, reserved their, defence, and were committed for trial.

The accused were then charged with having broken Into and stolen from the shop of H. Lake, High itreet, on the 18th June, and Ohas. Lunnon was bharged with receiving property stolen from the shop of Mr Lake. . -";'.'•>

The evldenoe for the prosecution went to show that there had bean taken from the shop parses, compass, telescope, satchel, a lady'a oard oase, magnifying glasses, peooils, refils of lead for propelling pencils, pocket companions, that the volne of property was about £6; that Sellara used to visit the shop with news* paperß ; that some of the articles produced were found on the accused { that the telescope waa found m a bay riok at Green's" slaughterhouse, Addington, Lunnon being present; that some of the articles were found at Mra Rosa' and Mrs Moss' hoimes, from the latter of which Lunnon was said to have taken the tele* soope ; that Saarle took home part of the" stolen articles ; that Lunnon visited Mm Mobs' house before the telescope wai taken there by Searle, and that Searle made a statement, In which he confessed his own guilt and criminated the others, Mr Stringer, who appeared for Lunnon, pointed oat that there was do evidence to show that Lunnon was guilty of receiving stolen property.

The Court; upheld this contention, an< Lunnon was discharged . The other three were committed for trial.

The hearing of the remainder of the oaßes will be taken at 10.30 a.m. on Monday at the Provincial Oounoll Chamber.