CAPTURED ON WHARF

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 April 1938, Page 8

CAPTURED ON WHARF

BOY FROM WERAROA FARM SEVERAL OFFENCES ADMITTED By Telegraph.—Press Association, WELLINGTON, April 9. Two boys who escaped from the Weraroa training farm on April 4 were seen on the wharf at Wellington on Friday evening shortly before the departure of the ferry steamer. A detective, recognising one, went up to him and while they were talking the other lad disappeared. He is still at liberty.

The boy who was apprehended appeared before Mr J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., in the Children’s Court on Saturday morning, when he pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering a house at Kilbirnie on Friday and stealing £4 15s in money and clothing of a total value of £lO. He also admitted two other charges of theft. Detective-Sergeant Doyle said that the boy had made no secret of the fact that he and his companion had been committing offences right from the time of their escape. They had been sleeping out on Mount Victoria. The boy before the court had told the detectives that if he were sent back to Weraroa he would not stay here. “Well, do you still say you won’t stay at Weraroa,” asked the magistrate of the boy, who did not reply. The magistrate: “Come on, out with it. Be frank. Will you stay?” The boy: “Yes.’

The magistrate: “Very well, I’ll send you back. The manager reports favourably on you. I want you to undertand that if you give any more trouble there will be only one thing to do—send you to Borstal. You know that just as well as I do. If you go back and behave, good. If you don’t, you know what is coming to you. We will leave it at that.”