A YOUTHFUL BURGLAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3617, 2 November 1920, Page 5

A YOUTHFUL BURGLAR.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY. ' AUCKLAND, Nov. 1. e , ■/ This morning, in the Police Court, a small sensation was causey by the extent of housebreaking operations to which a youth of IS years pleaded guilty. Harold Alexander Stewart is his name and although he is at present serving sl period of thre4 years* probation on. account of five convictions in July of last year for housebreaking .and theft during the-last few months, he admitted having entered 13 houses during the absence ofklwelTers anfi taking goods and cash aggregating nearly £3OO in value. ..His operations were evidently carried out with line eye fog the conventions of suburban existence, for he attended to houses in Remuera and Mt. Eden, Epsom, Parnell and Devonport, and in ail cases the premises he inspected were those of professional people who has gone out in the morning and would scarcely be able to return before nightfall. In every instance, too, the wife and other members of the household had gone-to town before the enterprising youth -made his call, and on the return of the householders they found their rooms A tnutfi of witnesses all told the-same 'pi'- of having been out, leaving everything secure, and;... returning to find that some unlatched-window had, been opened, and cash, clothing and jo” els bad mysteriously . vanished. The actual n*-> to the criminal account of the boy included about a dfwen <>Y>]rf and silver watches, many rings, tie pins, purses and wallets, a r'- ; 1.1. ’c 1 a "O'llee't’OT' ~-P medals and sovereign cases, badges, brooches, bangles, and medals," sundry

pairs of white, black ami tan boots, overcoats, and a fairly large assortment of sundries. A good proportion of the thefts were actual cash, none of which was recovered, and a large percentage of the missing jewellery was not restored. The youth had nothing to say. In answer to a question by one witness, who’ testified to losing £5 in cash from her dwelling, accused said he had only found £3 10s of it. Otherwise he had no questions to ask, and he pleaded guilty to everything. Ho was committed for sentence.