A VERITABLE HIGHWAYMAN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3847, 15 November 1883, Page 3

A VERITABLE HIGHWAYMAN.

AVaxganut, This day,

A rather remarkable youth named John Rose, fifteen years of age, was brought up at the Police Court this morning on three separate charges of setting fire to a gorse fence, breaking into the school at Forded and doing considerable damage, and stealing a pair of boots from a house at Fordell, all on Sunday morning last, to all of Avliich he jdeaded guilt}-. He is the son of a most respectable settler of AVanganui. It appears that on Saturday night he commenced operations by ringing all the people up in one of the streets, afterwards going to the Rev. Mr AVilliams' place and borrowing and stealing a horse. Mounted on this, and Avcaring a pair of blue spectacles got on credit earlier in tho evening at the local jeweller's, ho rode up to the fire-bell, which lie pulled heavily, and then rode off into the country districts as far as Fordell. Here he broke into the blacksmith's shoji and stole a clock, Avhich he hid away in a back house, and then Avent into tho place of Avorship, taking 2>ut the interior of the harmonium and dissecting it. He next knocked a farmer up in the middle of the night to find his way to Ilellier's house, directly he had gone in again setting his gorse fence on lire. lie then wont to the house and stole a pair of boots, A\diich he aftemvards threw aAvay. Going to the local school, into Avhich he got through the AvindoAA r , ho 2>ourcd ink all over the tables and into the clock, scratching the maps, and doing other damage. Ho has tho reputation of committing similar acts in the past, and the Bench remanded him for aAveek for medical examination. It is not generally believed to be anything but pure mischief.