AUCKLAND BOY BURGLAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2463, 5 August 1922, Page 1

AUCKLAND BOY BURGLAR.

AMAZING EXPLOITS OF A NINE-YEAR-OLD. A very small boy, attired in black pants and a grey jersey, with bare head and feet, stepped jauntily into the Juvenile Court at Auckland on Saturday morning (says the Star),, and favoured magistrate and officials with pleasantly-sauey smiles. Such a nice-looking, sturdy little lad, he was; barring the bare feet, he seemed just suited for Sunday school. But it wasn’t there he was bound for. There were eight charges of housebreaking and theft preferred against this nine-year-old handful of humanity. Five times he had broken out of the Auckland Probation .Home and wandered far afield. Once ho went down to the wharf and stowed away on a steamer, arriving at "Whangerei to astonish the residents with exhibitions of the resource of the enterprising youth of Auckland. Arrested and returned to the home after creating a burglar scare in the northern town, he again broke away and had n. merry time around the suburbs. But let him tell his own story of bis last escapade. “I ran away in my pyjamas and

went to the house of Mrs Brown, near the home. She gave me a jersey and a pair of pants. I told Mrs Brown I had been bathing and lost my clothes. Later I saw a man who

:avo me 2/-. T went to the pictures a Dominion Road and that-night I lept in a building opposite the Emiire Theatre. Next morning I went i'to a house when the people were u; and took a purse and moneyo.\. I got 15/8} altogether. I took n orange and two overcoats also, smashed open the money box in the

reef and look the coins. I left ne overcoat in another house I en-

ured in Marlborough Srteet. The loor was open and the lady was lyng in bed asleep. I took an alarm •lock from a room and a canary Tom a cage at the back door. I ■mashed up the clock because it could not go. I let the canary go. afterwards went to; a house in

h’emurea Road and took nine pigeons from the loft, also four eggs, which I smashed. Then I went to the front verandah. There was a

canary in the cage, also a finch. I put my hand in and the canary and finch flew up and banged their heads against the roof of the cage and fell

down and died. 1 left them on the door mat. I let eight of the pigeons go after, but I kept one and went to the picture show again and sold it to the proprietor for (id. That night I slept in a baker’s cart in the yard of a liakehou.se in Eden Terrace. Next morning I went into a house

in Eden Terrace and stole some money. I gave a boy 4/- of that and spent the rest in , lollies. I bought a. pair of pants at Black’s shop in Burnly Terrace for 9/8. On the next day I went to Prospect Terrace and got. into several houses, and took things.” Senior-Sergeant Rawle said that the lad had also broken into houses at Whangarei and was wearing a

pair of boots be stole there when arrested. On this last occasion he was found in a wash-house changing into fresh clothes, and when asked where he had got them said he had bought them from a boy in the street for 3/-. He bad stolen them from the house, it was ascertained.!

“A regular Jack Shepherd,” said Mr Poyntou, S.M., surveying the

diminutive figure which stood smartly nt attention near the Magistrate during the recital of his exploits. The little fellow did not seem at all concerned at his situation. Since his apprehension he had been detained, at the city watchhouse, the police being afraid to let him go back to the Probation Home for fear he would escape again. The youngster was made as comfortable as possible by the officials at the police station, but the night before

his trial he made a serious complaint. “You policemen make too much noise at night and stop the prisoners from going to sleep,” he said; “I will report you to tlje Government.” The nine-year-old (housebreaker was committed to the Weraroa Home, where it is hoped the authorities: will succeed in keeping him within bounds. He bade a cheerful farwell to the police who had been looking after him. “So long!” he said, waving his hand airily. “I’ll see you again soon.” The officers fervently hope that he will not.