CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3891, 13 August 1875, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

f bisdat, August 13. (Before H. Baitings, Esq.. and A. C. Bigg, Esq, J.P.’s.)

Duonkbnnkss.—Edward Adams and John Jennings were each fined ss, or twenty-four hours’ imprisonment; Peter Treston. 20s, or forty-eight hours. Edmond Ruth, for drunkenness, was fined ns, or twenty-four hours; for using obscene language, 10s, or forty-eight hours; and for assaulting * onstable Campbell, 20s, or three days

A BAND OP YOUNG THIEVES. Wm. Amle sou, a y.ung man, was charged, on the information of Sergeant Anderson, with stealing a da ger from the shop of Philip Robert Tiltman, broker, on July 2 —Prisoner pleaded not guilty, Win. Cross, fifteen years >t age, deposed that he saw accused enter lilt man s shop and steal the dagger produced therefrom. -Tiltman identified he dagger as his property,—Wm. .Nicholson, another lad, wanext cal.ed. When he stepped into the witnessbox he behaved in a very rude manner, grinning and laughing whenever addressed. For this he was rebuked by Inspector Ma lard and Mr Bastings, the latter of whom said : It is quite frightful to see the demeanor of some of those boys.—Nicholson deposed: Bill Cross, the last witness, told him he “ shook ” the dagger yesterday afternoon from “ Johnny All sorts ” Witness found the dagger in his house, but did not know how it came there. Never told bernt Hanlon that jrisoner stole the dagger.—Sergt. anion deposed thit he re...oived the dagger from Nicholson, who that prisoner had stolen it. By L. j O Bench; He knew the bys’ pnent-, so. ’o of them were free and people, and some hard working. The boys were a lowed too much latitude —they were allowed 1) go to the theatre and to knock about the streets at night, and their parents hj id no control over them. Anderson was then charged Vvi'.h stealing a V.rooch, pair of ear-rings, and money-box containing ten shdlings, from the Victoria Hotel, On the night of the 7th inst. acci.sed and two other boys, named Myall and Hi iilan, met at the British Hotel, George st.eet Accused took off his boots and gave them to Kiordan. H** then crossed the street and entered the Victoria Ho el, stealing then from the artic.es in question. Whan he returned he gave etch of the bovs some money _ out of the box. The Bench said it was necessary to break up this r.ng, for, although accused stood alone in the box, it was nothing more nor less, and they could see the trad of crime running through thejwbole of the boys.—lnspector Mallard said that accused was the ringleader of the crowd. He was at present undergoing a sentenc ’, of twelve months’ imprisonment, and a Cli..v 6 e of an indictable nature wav to be heard against him in the gaol that afternoon.—Ac-

cased, on the second charge, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. Owing to the conflicting testimony in the first charge—that of stealing a dagger—it was dismissed. Henry Foreman (12) pleaded guilty to robbing the till of David VVeekham, confectioner, Pr neve street.—He was sentenced to twenty* four horns’ imprisonment, and to receive ten lashes.

A charge against Michael Sullivan (14) of stealing a meerschaum pipe, was, on the appli cation of Mr Stout, adjourned till next day. William llio' dan (13) and William Nicholson (16) pleaded guilty to stealing two mufflers froin the shop of lames Hardie, clothier, -Princes street. Riordan was ordered to receive ten lashes, and to be sent to gaol for twenty-four hours ; and Nicholson was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment. i he parents of the lads were called on by the Bench for explanations. Riordan’s stepfather Said that he had done everything for the boy. < but he was beyond bis control, Mr Bastings said that the boys’ morals w< re certainly very bad, but oF course ho could not say who was responsible for this. It might be tfiat they had mixed with bad associates, but in their countenances he could see marks of the criminal type, and if not properly looked after thev w,-re likely to for life those who brought them into this world. He blamed the parents who, by allowing their children to run about the streets at night, enabled them to berome contaminated by pernicious characters He (Mr Bastings) had always felt pmud that there was so little crime la Dunedin: he neveri ■ oagined th re was so much wickedness in onr very midst as had beenshown in theeaseof these hoys. I he latte- appeared to be acquainted with as much slang phraseology as if b ought up in th - streets of London, and which bad been picture-1 by Dickens in “ Oliver Twist.” He had ordered the young boys to be whipped, because he thought that woul \ have the most deterring -ffvet on them ; he did not wish them to become mmiuals, and only i egretted that he could no order tlm bigger boy’s to be similarly punished —Mrs Nicholson complained that her boy was beyond her control, and that he was led away oy the other boys who had been before the Cou-t. Mr bastings; I wish he was two years younger—l wou d give him fifty lashes. v, rs Nicholson: So do I; he deserves ivery day of his life. He is a disgrace to ’ie poor mother. I have worked hard to buy him dotbes, and these he has afterwards sold - Speaking to the parents of some dozm other boys in > ourfc, and who were all understood to be associates of Anderson, his Worshi said that unless they looked after their suns ami kept r -hetn at home at night they would become gaol birds for life.