AFTER 26 YEARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 544, 22 December 1928, Page 1

AFTER 26 YEARS

Boy’s “Crime” Revealed BEES IN A SCHOOL HOLIDAY TRICK FAILS (From Our Own CorrespondentJ MO R RIX S VILLE, To - day. For 26 years bees Have been a nuisance at the Morrinsville School; for 26 years a former pupil has kept silent as to how the bees got there. “Crime’’ will out, and now he has “confessed.” Securely housed in the lining of one of the rooms of the Morrinsville School bees have defied all onslaughts made on them. On two occasions portion of the wall was removed in an attempt to get rid of the unwelcome visitors. They were a source of expense to the committee and annoyance to teachers and pupils. Stings have been numerous. The bees are still there, having returned regularly to their stronghold year after year. No one knew whence they came, or how they had come to make the school their home, until this week, when Mr. Pi. J. Schofield, who was present at the farewell to Mr. D. R. P\ Campbell, headmaster, "confessed.” Mr. Schofield said he was a pupil at the school when Mr. Campbell first came to Morrinsville, 29 years ago. On a certain day 26 years ago royalty was passing through the town. The children anticipated a daj r ’s holiday. Instead, they were promised only a i few hours off. ] The boy Schofield decided on a I course of action to force upon the ! headmaster the necessity of a whole holiday. Taking a box, he climbed a macrocarpa tree where a hive of bees had swarmed and deftly imprisoned the colony. RUSE FAILS TO WORK Pie took the box under the school, removed the lid and awaited results. Unfortunately the ruse did not turn out as planned. The bees did not swarm into the schoolroom making it untenable, as was anticipated They did not make their appearance until three days later. The unexpected development was that the bees found the building so much to their liking that they refused to leave, and their descendants have assumed ownership of the school by natural right. ‘T have not mentioned this to a soul before,” said Mr. Schofield, after relating the incident. “I am safe from a hiding now, as Mr. Campbell has retired.”