PRANK BY STUDENTS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 250, 22 November 1929, Page 2

PRANK BY STUDENTS

"DROPP1NG IN" ON FR1ENDS. THROUGH THE SKYLIGHT. Two university students "dropped in"' too literallv on friends in a London flat. Through usmg the skylight ls a nxeans of entrance they fell fout of the police. The consequence was that the adventurous pair, Joseph Bertram Quick, aged 20, and Claude Luxeuiberg, aged 19, faced a charge at Maiylebone the other. day of breaking into an estate office in TUncliley road. The cliavge was reduced to one of being found on enclosed preniises for an unlawful pnrpose and to this they pleaded not guilty. A coustable told how he saw liglit in the estate office at 12.5 a.ni., aud receiving information that two meu were on the roof, obtained assistanoe aud had the premises surrounded. A search was being made vlien Quick crawled out through a skylight ou to a flat roof and saicl, "It's all up. My frieud has fallen and hurt himself." He then climbed down. The coustable went to the back door, where he met Luxemberg, who had an -injury behind the ear. The man, said tlie coustable, had apparentiy gained access to the premises by climhing a 12ft--wall on to a flat roof to a skylight, An office was in disorder and the contents of drawers had been strewn on tlie floor. Quick and Luxemberg were arrested and charged witli breaking into tlie premises. Quick stated he motored up to London from Oxford and, having dined with Luxemberg, decided to stay the night with hini. Luxemberg's story was that he had an invitation to a party at tlie flat of a friend over a shop aud they decided to go. They went to .the house, tos Luxembeig tnought, and rang the bell. No answer came," and as- there was a light iu the- window they - elecided --to surpi 'se tli.e partv. Tliey got up on-to the wail, clambered through the skylight, and discovered they were m an office. At that lnoment the police aiTivecl. The 'Magistrate : "VVe have hearcl of gpt-e-crashers. You seem to have been lanlight-crashers. Had you been invited ? Quick : Mi' Luxemberg had. Luxemberg stated his friend had cnly 'recently taken the flat, and although he had accompanied his sister there lie liad uever been in the plice himself. He had an invitation to ea 11 rfter dinner, and decided to go. He remembered that the word "Ernest" appeared over the shop under the flat, and lie mistook the preniises on seeing the name "Ernest Owers." The Alagistrate said he was satisfled that it was a youthful eseapade, with no tinge of _ criminality. The young men had dined in town and thought it w.ould be somewhat hnmorous to get into the flat in this way. He was glad to be able to acquifc them w-ithout any stain on their characters. They had acted foolishly, youthfully and nnfortunately