A YOUTH’S ESCAPADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3655, 21 June 1927, Page 3

A YOUTH’S ESCAPADE.

COMMANDEERS A MOTOR CAR. BURGLARISES A LOCAL STORE. ARRESTED BY LOCAL POLICE. REMANDED TO PALMERSTON NORTH. . Messrs Barr and Tyer experienced some difficulty in opening up their premises yesterday morning and on making investigations it was discovered that the rear AvindoAV had been smashed in, the premises burgled and the front doors barricaded up from the inside. A quantity of men’s clothing was missing and an electric?iron in a back room had been switched on and had burnt through the ironing board and table, a wire fortunately fusing before any more serious damage was done. The matter was reported to the police. ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT. .REMANDED TO PALMERSTON. NORTH. Tavo suit cases crammed full of shirts, ties, sox, a suit of pyjamas, a ready-to-wear suit, ancf various articles of men’s wearing apparel and even including ladies jazz garters, together with a heap of hats, an electric torch in the shape of an automatic pistol, a plaited stock whip and sundry odds and ends adorned the table in the Courthouse yesterday, when Leslie Joseph Murphy, a youth, appeared before Mr. J. K. Hornblow, J.P., on the following charges:—(l) On the 18th .June, at Palmerston North, with unlawfully converting to his oAvn use a new Cheverolet motor ear, valued at £245, the property of Campbell Ernest Brown; on the 19th June, at Foxton, with breaking and entering the shop of Messrs Ban 1 and Tyer, and stealing therefrom two portmanteaux and contents, A-alued at £3l 4s 9d; and on the 20th June, at Foxton, with stealing a stockAvhip, valued at 13/6, the property of W. Fursdon, of Marotiri. Constable Owen in asking that accused be remanded to appear at the Magistrate’s Court, Palmerston North to-day, said that Murphy, who was about 18 years of age, was a licensed farmhand, of Dannevirke. He admitted absconding from there last Saturday,when he made his way to Palmerston North. There he took a new Cheverolet car from a stand and drove it as far as Rangitane, whert* he ran out of benzine. He abandoned the ear and came on to Foxton on Sunday and that night broke into Messrs Barr arid Tyer's premises by smashing a back window, He helped himself to two portmanteaux and articles of clothing. Yesterday morning Mr Fursdon, of Marotiri, while loading stock at, the local railway yards, missed his stock whip and reported the matter to the police. Constable Ryan saw accused on the wharf and questioned him with regard to the whip which he found tied round his waist concealed under his clothing. A bunch of keys was also found on him and this led to accused being questioned in regard to the robbery at Barr and Tver’s. Accused admitted this and subsequently showed the constable where he had concealed the stolen good in Easton Park. All the goods had been recovered. Nothing was previously known about accused. The remand was granted. Questioned wltli regard to the iron being switched on in Messrs Barr and Tyer’s, accused said that he thought the ironing switch Avas a light switch. SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS’ REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. At the Palmerston N. S.M. Court to-day, before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., Leslie Joseph Murphy was brought up on remand from Foxton, and sentenced to three years’ reformative treatment at. the Borstal Institute at Invercargill.