RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2576, 2 November 1893, Page 4

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Geraldine—Tuesday, October 31. [Before C. A. Wray, Esq., R.M., and Messrs H. W. Moore and W. M. Moore, J.P.'s.] JUVENILE DEPRAVITY. Wm. Lord, a lad eleven years old, was charged with, on October 14th inst., stealing 13 pipes and 3 bottles of citrate magnesia, value £2 10s, from N. Dunlop & Co.'s store, Geraldine. Accused admitted taking 2 pipes and 1 bottle of magnesia. Nathaniel Dunlop deposed : I am a storekeeper at Geraldine. About October 15th my store was entered during the night. Stock was taken to see what was stolen, and it was found that 13 pipes were missing. Have seen some of the pipes since, which I recognise as mine. Three bottles of citrate magnesia were also taken, two of which are now in Court. The lad's father was in my employ. I got one pipe from young Taylor that he got from young Lord. Saw accused and charged him with stealing pipes. He admitted stealing three of the pipes, and had hidden one of them in the park, the stem of which was in Court. Saw a lad named Stringer, who had bought a pipe for 3d from a°ad named Grindall. Grindall said he got the pipe from Lord. A lad named Whittaker also got a pipe from Lord, which he was to give a black rabbit for. A pipe was also sold by accused to a lad named G aby for 9d. Accused said he got one of the pipes on the counter near the cheese, and the others were sticking out of the case. Do not think that accused broke into the shop. The two bottles of magnesia in Court were found in a cask outside the shop.

JKobert Whittaker, 19 years of age, gardener, deposed : I recognise one of the pipes produced as that I got from young Lord. Was to give him a black rabbit for it. Never asked accused to get mo the pipe. He came to me and said he h»d a pipe 1 could have if I liked. He said he found the pipe, but did not mention where. I believed him. It was three weeks ago since I got the pipe, and did not know it was stolen.

Thomas Grindall, 16 years of age, deposed : Young Lord gave me one of the pipes produced on the 13th inst. whea he came home from school. Did not ask him where he got it, and was not aware that it was stolen. Did not get any other pipe 3, and did not see others.

Charles Grindall, aged eleven, deposed : Got two of the pipes produced from accused on the 15th inst. Did not smoke myself. Wanted pipes for my brother. Did not know where accused got the pipes. Accused gave mo some magnesia in a paper. Accused sent me into the store to buy lollies. While I was in the shop he took the magnesia aud put it in a barrel. He told me afterwards what he had done. He did not say he stole the magnesia; he said he took it. He wanted me to have a bottle, but I would not till Mr Dunlop found out about it. Did not tell anyone about the matter. Was afraid of being found out. Constable Willoughby here stated that the Grindalls were both motherless lads. Frederick Gaby, aged 16, deposed : I got a pipe from Win. Grindall; it was not like any produced. Got another pipe from Whittaker, which the latter bought at the tobacconist's.

Constable Willoughby deposed: On the 16th inst. on making enquiries respecting robbery at Mr Dunlop's store, I found several boys with pipes .and traced them in each case as coming from accused. Accused acknowledged taking four of the pipes and also the citrate of magnesia, the contents of a bottle of which he drank, and buried the empty bottle in his father's garden. First of all accused denied having anything to do with the matter, but afterwards admitted the offence. Never had any trouble with acciued before. He is one of the best behaved boys iu Geraldine, and was always well looked after by his parents.

'J homas Lord, father of accused, said his boy was a very good boy at home, and the only way he could account for the present trouble was that the lad had been led by other boys. He had no proof of this, but his boy never smoked and could not want the pipes for himself. The lad told him that one lad had promised him a rabbit, aud the others something else, if he got them pipes. Accused, in reply to the Bench, said Jack Sugrue wanted a pipe, and he got it for him.

Mr Dunlop, in reply to the Bench, said that the articles stolen he valued at £2 10s. No offer of restitution had been made. Mr Lord had been in his employ about 16 months; was satisfied with him always. The lad knocked about the shop with his fathr, when the father was going out with the order cart. Always trusted accused, and did not think he was guilty at first. The store was broken into on the 15th inst., but he could not say it was done by accused ; it was possibly done by someone else. But enquiries about the burg'ary brought to light the stealing done by accused. The value of the five pipes discovered and the magnesia is 14s. The Bench severely reprimanded accused, and discharged him on the understanding that he pays 14s, value of articles stolen. The Court then rose.