A YOUNG RASCAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 75, 23 December 1918, Page 6

A YOUNG RASCAL

BAD BOY'S QUEER TALE

CONVICTED OF FALSE PEETENCtS AT 13

"Ho is one of the hardest boys I have come across, and the greatest liar." This was the unenviable description applied by Pliiin-Clothes Coustublo Black to a 13-yeur-old boy, who was charged at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday with having stolen a wristlet watch, and with having attempted to obtain a suit of clothes from the Crown-Clothing Company by means of a false pretence. The story narrated by Constable Black n-e----gai'iling the boy's action was. an extraordinary one, and the Magistrate, Mr. V. V. Frazer, ! S.IL, remarked that it "beat 'anything he ever heard 'before." Constable Black said that when, he first interviewed the boy he gave the name of James Knight, and said he lived in Fendnlton. TJis father died five years ago, lie said, and his mother earned a living by going out washing. The lad added that before he left Christchurch he went to the Carlton Hotel, where he met a man named "Bill Lnwson." Lawfon said to him. "Have youi spare-time?" He replied in the affirmative, whereupon Law.son suggested that they should go to Auckland. Permission was given by his mother, and "Bill 'Lawson" paid his fare. "Bill Lawson" did not accompany him on the ferry boat as he had to wait for some horses. He was Riven los. by "Bill" for pocket money: When he arrived in Wellington by the Monowai he snw some boys fishing. He then went to buy a. fishing line and tried his luck at the sport. Subsequently ho met "George," ft fireman on the Monowai, with whom he went to Island Bay to see "George's" lady friend. On his turn to the vcs?el he saw a man scrubbing out one of the cabins. He asked this man to'write out a note to a clothier's, asking them to supply him with a suit of clothes. Accused supplied the paper, end the man wrote cut the order, which was issued upon the Crown Clothiii" Company. The note iread as follows:—"Dear, Sir,—Pleaae supply James 'NMif with a suit as he has nothing to go ashore with. The company will pay. —Yours truly, Captain Norton.' He ■went to the shop with the order, bu.t when he produced it the shop assistant summoned a policeman. When he went to the shop he knew he was doing wrong as' the order was a false one. "It must have been the Devil who made me think of doing this," the 'boy said. "I go to the pictures every week and have seen men shooting and robbing in the pictures They never seem to get caught, so I thought I could do the same. This is my first attempt at dishonesty and it will be my last." ~„.., Constable Black remarked that the ■boy afterwards desired to alter the first statement he had made, end said he wanted to tell the truth., He then stated that his father and -ndther lived in 9 Jeffries Road, Christchnrch, and about December 12 he went to the Carlton ilotbl where he met "Bill Lawson, a •returned soldier. At liiccarton iracecoursc he informed "Bill" that he had cleared out from home, and. asked for a loan of jei. "Bill" save him the M and asked him to accompany him to Auckland with, some horses. mil, however, could not leave until the next day so he was left that night by himself on the Monowai. "Bill , "paid the fare On board the Monowai he went down among the firemen, and while there saw a watch hanging on a ledge. He stole the watch. The boy said that the statement he had made about ordering a suit of clothes was correct. He did not want to go back home, as he was badly treated there, and had been tola to clear out before. Comment was made upon the fact that in his first statement to the constable the boy gave his name as "Ktught, but dropped the letter "K" wlwn distatin? the.note regarding the suit of clothes. In the second statement the boy gave his correct surname, and Constable Black said .it was learned that a bpy.tf that name was missing from Christ church. . ■ „_ , r The Juvenile Probation Officer,, Mr. Dineen, stated that after the boy had been taken into custody he was ordered, to have a bath at the Probation Home. The- ■ boy had the bath, but managed to escape, and after a long search he was ultimately located in the Mam Trunk express at Thorndon. He was again apprehonded by Mr. Dineen, whom he denied ever having seen before He declared his intention of callin" on the services of "Bill," and then ' asked a policeman to arrest Mr.. Dineen for drunkenness. "He told he to leave him alone and wiid.l was drunk, Mr. Dineen added. "There seems to be somo good in the boy, and he has evidently 'been well brought up, but he requires some stringent treatment now to get out of him the badness which he has acquired." - The boy's mother said her son nrast have got into bad company. She and her husband intended to shift their home from Christchurcli to Auckland, and she tearfully implored the Court to leave the bov with her. . Mr. Frazer said he could not possibly agree to such a coursu just now. Thb boy had apparently got thoroughly out of hand. There seemed to be something abnormal in his mind, and efforts would have to be made to eradicate from him the criminal tendencies which he manifested. "I have had a good deal to do with the Juvenile Court," remarked Mr. Frazer, "but this story I have heard told absolutely beats anything I ever heard before. It is'absolutely, in the hoy's own interests that he should Ijo placed i somewhere where he will bo under proper control and watched carc"on the charge of false pretences the 'hoy was convicted and, ordered to be sent to the Nelson Boys' Training Farm, and it was also ordered that as his parents were Roman Catholics ho should be brought up in their religion. The bov was not dealt with on the otlief charge, as the mother said that the watch alleged to h'ave been stolen belonged to the boy. His Worship said that after the parents had bemme settled in Auckland there was nolhimr to prevent them from approaching the I'.tlucation Denartment with a view of requesting that the boy be released and again placed in their charge. In the nieantimo he deemed it advisable to send him to Nelson.