MANY MYSTERIES EXPLAINED

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3678, 16 August 1927, Page 3

MANY MYSTERIES EXPLAINED

WIHEN TWO YOUTHS FACE COURT.

At the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court on Monday two youths, each aged 20 years, were charged with a series of crimes ranging from mere committing of a nuisance to stich a serious offence as arson. During the hearing of the charges against the youths considerable light was thrown on an epidemic of theft of cycles and also on the obstruction which was placed on the Main Trunk railway line just north of Palmerston in February last.

In nearly every instance the accused youths stated that they had committed the offences in order to provide excitement for the public. Counsel pointed out that they were, neither of them, mentally normal, and at his request the suppression of their names was granted. On the more grave charges they were committed for sentence to the Supreme Court at Wellington. Most of the offences, to all of which the youths pleaded guilty, were committed in each other’s company, altough some they committed singly. One youth had to face twelve charges as follows: —Five of theft, two of arson, one of obstructing, a railway line, two of giving, false alarms of fire, one of damaging a police telephone, and one of damaging teelphone wires. Of these offences three were committed by himself, while he was charged jointly with his comrade with the other offences. The other youth was charged with five counts of theft, two of arson, one of giving a false alarm of fire, and one of damaging public telephones, a total of nine offences, only two of which he committed without the assistance of his friend. CHARGES OF ARSON.

The chare of arson referred to three separate attempts to set fire to various buildings, one of which was the old disused Catholic Church in Broad St. Both youths were involved in this escapade, and stated in sworn statements produced in Court that they had done it by way of excitement. In view of the fact that the building was not used, they had set fire to it by placing paper under the floor of the building- which was old and somewhat rotten, and lighting the paper. Before any damage was done, however, the . fires were discovered and extinguished. One of the youths was charged singly with having attempted to set fire to a house occupied by Rosalia E. Waters, in Featherston St. Evidence showed that "in the early hours of the morning of July 6, Mrs Waters discovered the back portion of her house to be alight. Much damage was done to the building, repairs costing over £165. Another charge of arson was laid against the other youth concerned in these escapades. This charge referred to an attempt made on August 3, 1927, to set fire to a building known as Cook’s Timber Mill, by placing a piece of burning cotton waste on part of the roof of the building. Evidence was called as to how the fire was'discovered and the waste found to be heavily charged with kerosene. The burning material was disposed of, however, before any damage was done. OBSTRUCTION ON RAILS. In regard to a charge of having placed an obstruction on a railway line, which was preferred against one youth only, evidence was given by Arthus Kilgour engine-driver. He stated that on February 19 he was driving a goods train running from Marton to Palmerston N., which was timed to arrive at Palmerston N. shortly after 11 o’clock. When at Terrace End station, however, the train struck an obstruction on the line, which turned out to be a wooden sleeper between 6 and 7ft. in length. Owing to this the train was delayed about half an hour. In this case, also, the youth told Detective Barling that they had put a sleeper on the line in order to cause some excitement. The same accused was further charged with having wilfully damaged eight telephone wires at Fitzherbert West in April last, by cutting them, an offence to which he also pleaded guilty. A THIRD ACCUSED. Another young man, whose name was ordered to be suppressed, was jointly charged with the last accused with having similarly damaged two telephone wires at Awapuni. He pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence to the Supreme Court. This was the measure adopted in all of the previous charges, which were heard, both youths being committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington.