BREAKING AND ENTERING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2133, 16 July 1907, Page 2

BREAKING AND ENTERING.

BOY BEFORE THE COURT. At tlio Folic© Court morning, before Mr. Barton, lad was charged with breaking and entering the premises of An° n l“ s Oswald’East ,at Makaun. with intent- to commit a crime. Thomas Oswald East deposed thdt ii 3 was a storekeeper at Makaun. His store is detached from the dwel iug-liouse. The store is close to the road! He was. in the sore on Thursday morning from 1 « l * m * G. 30. A man named McCusker wa •llso in tlio shop, and had boon there Horn 7.30 p.m! on Wednesday evening. Was looking out of the f ’tor c along tlio road, and_saw a boy com ing towards the store. The boy ' ilono and he came up to the sWie, md took off his boots leaving then the front door of the shop, ihe lad climbed on a box and looked through the window. Ihe 'wndou bail been previously broken and ease containing a new pane ot glass had been nailed up on the The case covered the whole of t - window. The accused pushed the case aside and entered the store, stood on the shelf used tor displaying goods in the window, and when be saw McCusker ho cried Oil! and hurriediv clambered out of the window. McCusker tried to catch the boy, but did not succeed. Witness ran after him and caught him, bringing him back to the store. J-he accused had no boots on when caught, tlio boots being still by me front door. The lad said ‘Oh Tom, Oh Tom 1 lot me go.” Witness replied that after waiting all night lie would not let him go. Put the boy in tli3 store, and went for the schoolmaster, Mr. Wauchop. Witness the n went to the boy’s father. The father was in bed, and when he came out and heard whatr his son had done lie told the witness that ho could do nothing with the boy, and the only bhing to bo done was to lock him up. Witness then returned,to the strore, and let the boy go. The accused put liis boots on before leaving. Harry McCusker deposed that lie was a laborer at present working at Makauri. On Wednesday night he went to Mr East’s store, and remained until daylight the following morning Mr. East was also in the store from about 1 o’clock until 6.30 a.m. At about 6 o’clock Mr East said that there was a boy coming down the road in the direction of the store. A little time elapsed, and then he saw the boy on th© window sill. Tne accused pushed aside the case that had been nailed across the window, and climbed into the store. When lie saw witness he cried out and bea-t a liastv retreat through the broken window. Mr. East gave chase, and catching him brought him back to the store. Mr. East then went awa^, and returned after awhile witli r * Wauchop, the schoolmaster. Witness had not tlie slightest doubt as to tne identity of the accused. John Stewart Wauchop gave evidence to the effect that on Thursday morning last at about a quarter P 6 o’clock he was asked by Air. East to go along to the store. When he got to the store he found the accused and the last witness inside. “This is a nice gam© you’ve been at, Jack,’ to which the lad made no reply. Witness asked the accused what ho had done with the money, and the accused rejilied that lie had taken no money. The lad had no boots on when witness first saw him at the store. His boots were out by the front door of the store. Witness saw t-lic accused put his boots on. Air. Stock, who appeared for the accused, then said that the father of the boy had never had any previous trouble with him, and had trusted him with various sums of money, and had no reason to believe that the boy was dishonest. Air. Stock said he was prepared to call witnesses if His Worship thought it was necessary. His \Vursiiip said he thought it would be as well to hear what they had to say. Accused’s sister was then called, and deposed that she was 14 vears of ag6. Had given the accused sixpence t > buy some matches at Mr. East’s store. Hail got the sixpence out of a box. Her brother had his boots on when he went to the store. The hoy’s father, in giving evidence, stated that the bov had given no trouble for some time. Had been honest and trustworthy. By Detective Madderu: Are you aware that the accused had been convicted for stealing a watch on the 27th February, 1903, when he was cautioned and discharged ?—-Yes. His Worship then committed the accused to the Burnham Industrial School, there to be -brought up in the Roman Catholic-religion.