SHAMEFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2296, 22 December 1891, Page 4

SHAMEFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

At the R.M. Court, Timaru, on Friday last two boys named Samuel Boyce and William Barker were charged with wilfully destroying machinery and other property at the Saltwater Creek Tannery, the property of M. Jonas, to the value of £5, on or about November 23rd:-! Mr Jonas stated that he went to the tannery to see about starting business again, and on going inside he found most of the windows broken, and the engine and the whole of the machinery completely wrecked, pulled to pieces and damaged to a very great extent. He did npt wish to put in the amount of damage really done. He reckoned the whole damage at fully £SO, but he stated it at £s'to bring the case within the jurisdiction 6f this Court. The destruction of property/by boys in Timaru was something 1 fearful. He did not know who did th'e ! damage in this case. The place was locked up, and the boys got through a window; His Worship said he had seen a great deal of damage done by mischievous boys. Ha noticed that if a house were left empty a day or two the boys broke the windows. It was a most disgraceful state of affairs. Samuel Boyce, aged 16, sworn, admitted that he and Barker eatered the tannery building, at Barker's suggestion, "and also at his suggestion they-pulled a number of wheels off the shafts of machines and put them in a trfb of water. Many of the windows were broken before they went in. They did no nfpre damage than loosening the wheel's ( taking them off. They did it just out of mischief. After other evidence had been taken j His Worship said as there was only; "the [evidence of Boyce against Barker ? he could not convict the latter, though he had a strong opinion of his own about his guilt. It would be an extraordinary thing for the lad Boyce to make such a statement as he did without any object. He r .would let the matter Btand,, oyer >; for; a week in order that the premises;might be put in order, and he would'expect ;Boyce to do it, and hoped jWker would assist. The boys were ordered to come up again next Friday.