ELECTRICITY MAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1124, 24 July 1913, Page 4

ELECTRICITY MAD.

CRAVING FOR KNOWLEDGE.

HOW IT LED A BOY TO

CRIME

The exploits of a lad of 15 years of age, at Sydney, named Frederick Smith, present some extraordinary features. This boy has drifted into crime through a craving lor appliances with which to conduct electrical experiments. The purchase of instruments was beyond his means, but, nothing daunted, he decided to secure what he wanted by fair means or foul. Now he is under arrest for theft.

For several weeks past Messrs Murray aud Ballingale, electrical engineers, have missed several articles from stc-vk in their shop at Bridge Road, Richmond, Mel- ’ jitrne. They concluded that a i ief was at work, and the back door was securely nailed up. On the morning of June 25, however, h was discovered that the door had been burst open, and further examination showed that a small bioscope apparatus and its electric fittings had been taken from the shop window and placed on a table in a position for throwing pictures on tbe wall. A roll of films was in its place in the

machine, and an electric lamp had been, connected by wires with a dry cell battery. At this new development the proprietors of the establishment reported the matter to the local police, and constables were told off to keep all-night watches in the shop. Two nights after this, one constable, while on duty in the shop, heard someone moving at the back. He gave chase, but the intruder escaped in the darkness, and as nothing transpired during the following few nights, the constables were withdrawn. A strict outside watch, however, was kept on the premises, and last Monday night, shortly after 8 o’clock Constable Fitzgerald paid a visit to the back of the shop, and was surprised to see a lad dressed in cadet uniform busily drilling boles in the door with a brace and bit. The constable promptly arrested the lad, who proved to be Smith. A examination of the door showed that about 90 holes had been drilled in it, and that the slightest force would have made the panel fall in. On being taken to the watchhouse, Smith made a clean breast of it. He slated he was studying electricity, and had broken into the shop on several occasions to obtain appliances to assist him in conducting experiments. Before the back door was barricaded against him, he had experienced no difficulty in gaining an entrance. He simply pushed the key out of the lock, and allowed it to fall on the floor. Then, with the aid of a piece of wire, he secured the key and unlocked the door. He acknowledged that on the night when he forced the door open he could not resist the temptaticn to give himself a picture show, and described how he bad fitted the electric lamp to dry cells which he discovered in the shop, and what splendid pictures he had tbrowu ou the white walls of the room. He also related that on the night he was chased by the constable, he escaped by lying full length alongside a fence. The constable in 1 mining past in the darkness, tramped on his finger.

The father, who is an engineer, stated that the lad was perfectly infatuated with the study of electricity. He wss “electricity mad,” and constantly making experiments. On one occasion he brought wires through the roof of a workshop at the rear of their house, and admitted his intention was to tap the electric light main wires in the street outside. His father discovered the wires, and gave the boy a thrashing. But nothing would keep him from his studies.