A malicious act, causing great suffering to a little fellow named Thomas Creighton, was perpetrated in Moray Place yesterday morning. Creighton was playing with some others, when a boy ran past, and threw a lighted piece of paper containing powder at him. The package struck him on the breast and exploded, setting fire to his clothes. Some men quickly stripped off his jacket, waistcoat, and shirt, and found him to be badly burnt and blistered, necessitating his removal to the Hospital. -Otago Daily Times, 10/1/1874.
MALICIOUS MISCHIEF.
TO THE EDITOR. SIR -- I was very much alarmed to see in your issue of the 17th inst., a notice of the accident that happened to my boy, Thos. Creighton, who is attending the Middle District School, Dunedin, by the malicious act of another boy, in throwing a package of lighted gunpowder into his breast, which set fire to his clothing and severely burned him, and, but for the prompt action of a gentleman, who was convenient, that immediately tore off his clothing, he would have been burned to death. Sir, I think that the law should punish such cruel boys, and if not, their parents have a right to do it; seeing that not the slightest provocation was given, and that the little boy was so far from home, and, I may say, only 9 years old. I desire, however, to publish my sincere thanks to the gentleman who rescued him from such a horrible thing as might have happened.
I am, &c, John Creighton. Naseby, January 26th.
Although promptly taken to the hospital, Thomas died not long after.
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