ESCAPADE AT PUTARURU.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 223, 9 February 1928, Page 4

ESCAPADE AT PUTARURU.

POST OFFICE ENTERED. By “ Army ” Youth. A sudden temptation to take advantage of the postmistress’ absence resulted in Cyril Smith, a colonial youth, appearing before Mr. J. W. Barr Brown, J.P., in the Putaruru Court to answer a charge of stealing stamps and letter cards to the value of £1 0s 3d from the Lichfield post office.. It appears that Smith, who had been trained for farm work at the Salvation Army farm at Patetere for a period of eight years, had recently been working for various Putaruru farmers. Seeing the postmistress go home for lunch he had effected an entry in her absence, and was apprehended later in the day with the stamps in his possession. Major Armstrong, of the Salvation Army farm, described Smith as being a restless youth who did not stay long in a job. He was under the charge of the Army’s after-case officer, who did his best to keep an eye on boys after they left the farm. He had not been in trouble before, and this should be a lesson to him. It was explained to Smith that he might have had a far more serious charge brought against him, but to give him a last chance he would be convicted on this charge and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon- He was further ordered to pay the costs of the inquiry.