BOYS COMMIT ARSON

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1929, Page 3

BOYS COMMIT ARSON

TWO LADS PLEAD GUIDRY

,(By Tel(fe^rij.ph—Per Press Association.)

.MASTER,TON, March 14

Remanded on a charge of unlawfully and' wilfyllv placing three plugs of gelignite on the railway line at Newinaii near Eketahun.a, Alnstertpn, a boy of 15( y;eays appeared in the Cbildren’s jCb.urt before )|,r Miller, S.'M'., this morning. He was further charged iqiutly .Vith a young brother pTU; w.itß jy-ilfully setting fire to three buildings' over a period of four hiontlis, one being an unoccupied residence/ The elcler bqy pleaded guilty to fopr charges against him and the younger to three charges of arson. §ergean,t Dwyer, in relating the circumstances of outbreaks of fires stated that the first which the .hoys were charged with occurred on November 20th, ' )928, when a building,' the pro. pe.rty off H. H.! of"Masjteriou, was completely destroyed. .The police were unable .to ascertain the cause of the outbreak.

On the following nigfit ivnqthe,r. outbr.ea'k of fire occurred in pied house sityated in .Chapel Street, tjfie property of Robert W.ill,iani Draßi and again inquiries were niqde by the police iiut'-'without success. During the course of inquiries following the secondl. suspicious outbreak, one"bif the hoys was interviewed and stated that half an hour before the optbi e.nk. he saw two swaggers go ij.if’o the. house and shortly alter they felt the fire broke out. A third fire occurred on February ?fli last wßey a shed belonging to the .Ma,st.e,j ton Borough Council wr.s dam. aged. 1 One of the hoys only was concerned in the last charge. The boys at first denied all knowledge, of the cause of the outbreaks, but later made a complete confession. On being questioned W ; hy they sqt fire to the buildings they said that 'they liked to .see the ’file brigade turn out. The 'police stated 4 that 'the elder boy was of weak intellect. The Magistrate,"when'' ’ addressing the elder b|Py». said be wa.s charged with three serious offences. l‘or.unately the placing of gelignite on thfi railway fine'did not dp serious damage, hut-it was a senseless, diabolical act.’ He took ip.to consideration .that tlie boy did realise that without caps gelignite was not Tinngerous. It was apparently put on the line .with the idpa, of hearing a noise. The boy- pas eyideptly sub-normal. . He. woyld P ace Ilim under the supervision of the Cluld Welfare Officer qnd coniinit Rim tp Weyaroa Training Farm. Tlie yp.ung,<T I,OV was evidently under th,e infl,urrt? of'bis brother, said liis Worship, and lie. was placed under the care of the ■Child Welfare Officer - ; Y'V : ~