A BOY'S ESCAPADE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3079, 9 April 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

A BOY'S ESCAPADE.

RESULT OF SHILLING SHOCKERS. At Bow-9treet Police Court, a youth named Sidney Webb, aged IG, an hotel porter, was charged with breaking and entering, and stealing a c.ish-box containing £2 in gold, and £1 8a in silver, and other property belonging to Mr Taverner, hotel-keeper, St. Paueras. The prosecutor stated that the accused had been employed by him for a month, and left through illness. Five days later witness placed a cash-box containing the property mentioned in a drawer. This was about 7 o'clock in the morning, and shortly alter it was found that the box had been stolen. The police were at once communicated with, and the prisoner's

father afterwards handed the cash-box to aa officer, and the prisoner, who had absconded, was arrested at Liverpool. The boy had written the following extraordinary letter to his mother, which gave a clue to his whereabouts : —

" Open Country, Don't Know Where." " Dear Mofclier and Father,—My f.ite is sealed. lam in the hands of a hand of villains and gipsies. Even while lam writing I am gagged. I have had no food ever since t ran away. I have had all my clothes aud boots taken, watch and a'll, and I have now got some rags on and sleep on the floor of a cab. Never before have you all felt so dear to me as you have at this present moment. lam truly and sincerely sorry for the deed 1 committed. But I left all the papers in my box, and you had the key then, and I have solemuly vowed a vow that if I get out of this gang I am determined to come home and lead a new life. I have prayed to God night and morning to forgive all my past sins, and I feel he has. I feel quite new in myself. I am closely watched. I have not been out in fresh air since I ran away. I have been forced to write this by the captain of the band. He says it is no use me trying to escape, because I can't. But he has given me one chance tor life and freedom, and for this he demands £25 in gold, and if this is not sent in two days from now I am a dead boy. He means to murder me in cold blood if he does not get what he wants. Oh, dear mother, save me from such a fate. I will return to you like the prodigal son, aud come home f"r my trial for the deed I have done. He gays it is no use you coming to flocl me, for I am miles away from where this letter is going to be posted. Dear mother, if you are going to release me. three days after he has got what he wants he will bring me to London, aud then I will return a new son and make you worthy of such a son. If you are going to release me, you must sent my box with my best clothes, as I have only rags on now, and I can't come home in them. He says you must put £25 in gold in tho box as well, and send it to 4S. Lime street, LiverpoolHe will be there in disguise waiting for it. If it does not arrive within two days my fate is sealed. He says you must write a letter dirtctly you receive this with the key of the box in it, and if he don't get this or the box next day all is lost of me aud my whereabouts, He will not let me say no more; so good-bye mother and father.

" Your son, Sidney. " Don't forget address, 48, Lime street, Liverpool. Oh, save me, dear mother ! do ; save me ! and I'll return a new boy." On a separate slip was written ; —" I have slipped this in without his seeing it. as he read the other. Father, if you are at Kettering on the Midlaud Railway, ou Saturday afternoon, you will see him come out with my box and you can arrest him, but he will open the box before he comes back, and if the box don'c come, and if it does, and there is no money it, he will return another box I don't know of. I have overheard this. I heard him say it was Kettering where he had to go to, and you will know him by my box. This is all. Sir John Bridge said the boy had evidently been reading trashy aud pernicious literature, He was committted for trial.