BOY AS NIGHT PROWLER

Chronicle (Levin), 25 July 1946, Page 5

BOY AS NIGHT PROWLER

-Press Association

MANY ATTACKS ON WOMEN

By Telegraph—

NEW PLYMOUTH, July 24. Confessions by u- boy aged 14 yeurs, have iixed the responsibilitv for lti night prowling incidents that had caused alarm at New Plymouth for a year past, particularly aniong women 1 and girls. His actions, believed to have been the result partlv of his earlier as sociatious with a nian now in jail, were invesigated in the Children 's Court today when he was connnitted by Air. W. H. Woodward, S.M., to the care of the Superintendent of Child Welfare. The story of the boy 's night time escapades between June 7, 1945, and June 27, 194(5, had niany extraordinary feature,s. He was always barefooted when he went on his exeursions and his parents knevv nothing about them. His prowling was done mostly lietwecii 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and, in spike of niany risks he took, it vsas not until towards the end that anyone saw sufiieient of him in the darkness to provide a elue eveu to his stature.

The most semsational among the incidents was tlie boy's visit to the Cottam houseliold in the early' hours of Alarch 24. Between 3.30 and 4 o'elock -Mrs. Cottam heard sereams from a rooni oct'upied by Aliss Doreen Gotlam. Rusli.iitgi ip she Tpund ,-a. g.riioj .deal- o.f blood kpliiA S!ed" a b qii4 t hp" f op fif . afi d. h er fda-ugl i - lei'' u^i'OJikfeiqul.'; 4Y .(lpJtoi'twas sihumoned and he sent. the girKto hospital for the h'ealmeiit of fairly severe injuries. pShe was there three vveeks. Explaining the incident today, Senior Deteetivo E. C. Jarrold said the boy entered tlie room and llashed a toreli in Ihe face of the girl as she Jqy asleep in bed. When she showed signs of waking lie struck lier two or three times with his toreh and went away. Other women and girls, both before and after that cvent, had alarming exporienees as the result of noeturnal visits from Ihe boy. He struek matches at a window -and his faee was seen momentarily. He woke sleepers by flashing his toreh on their faces. He climbed a step laddcr to look into girls' bedrooms. "The bov admitted this and all other offences," Henior Deteetive Jarrold said. " It is a remarkable ease. He was only 18 years old when he visitcd the first house mentioncd."