IMAGINATIVE BOY BURGLAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8342, 31 January 1913, Page 7

IMAGINATIVE BOY BURGLAR

COMMITS MANY CRIMES

REMANDED FOR SENTENCE IN AUCKLAND. Press Association. AUCKLAND, January 30. The lad who has loomed large in the public eyo of Auckland recently as John Bandley, tho boy burglar, came before Mr Frazer, S.M., this morning on a series of breaking and entering charges as Charles Edward Banbury, and he figures this Time not as a juve-. nils of fifteen, but as ■ a youth of eighteen. Not only docs his_ ingenious escape from the police station stamp him as a young man of imagination, but an amended version of his autobiography shows that his first account of himself was fictional in many respects. . . In tho courso of tho hearing against him this morning .of the “ breaks ’ into tho city chambers Detective-Ser-geant Cox said that Bandley had stated that his first statement was wrong _ so far as related to tho story of his life, and gave an amended statement in this. Ho gavo his real name as Charles Edward Banbury, and said that he was eighteen years of ago on October 3rd last. His parents resided at Leichhardt, in New South Wales, jmt ho had lived mostly with an aunt and uncle at Enfield, near Sydney, and had been three times convicted for theft. He had served on the training ship Sobraon for about six months, and had been sent later to a Government farm. Ho then joined tho s.s. Westralia as galley-boy, and after that ho had served on tho o.s. Pilbarra in tho same capacity. Ho joined tho s.s. Victoria on her last trip from Sydney to Auckland as store boy, and reached Auckland on Sunday week. Ho camo ashore on Monday night, and committed the offences in tho city chambers buildings, afterwards going back to the s.s. Victoria and sleeping there. Next morning ho took his kit-bag and deserted the Victoria that night. He broke into Smith and Caughey’s and stole Bomo goods, being captured an hour or bo later in tho yard of tho Albert brewery, close by Smith and Caughey’e. Banbury was charged with having on tho Monday night attempted to break and enter tho shops of John Court, Ltd., and H. E. Partridge; with having broken and entered the premises of tho Berlin and London Piano Company; having broken and entered tho premises of Howey Walker and stolen a gold ring, two half dollars, a quarter dollar, and 2s 9d in money; with having entered the Tiffen dining rooms and stolen 2s; with having stolon a brooch, the property of Miss Munten, dressmaker, city chambers; and with having stolen from Smith and Caughey’s on Tuesday two shirts, two pair socks, and other articles.

Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence.