A SHOPLIFTER'S PUNISHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 210, 5 September 1893, Page 5

A SHOPLIFTER'S PUNISHMENT.

STEALING TO PAY DEBTS

A married woman, Jessie Snmwnys, co.no up for sentence at tho Police Court before Dr. J. Giles, E.M., this morning. The charges against her were that on the 17th of August aho stole two pairs of boots, value 22h, the property oE Edward Brid^ons, also one pair, value 4s 6d, on the 18th of August, and on tho 24th of Juno two pairs of boots, value 13s, belonging to Georgo Sinnett.

Mr Reston, Probation Officer, handed in bip reporb bo tho Bench. inspector flickson asked His Worship to bake into account the 16s obtained by tho prisoner from pawnbrokers for tho boots'. Dr. Giles said ho had no power to make an order on fchab account. After reading the report, Dr. Giles said he was sorry to say that the Probation Officer had not recommended favourably in this case. From the first he scarcely expected that he would, und Mr Reston gave good reasons for not having done so. The cases had been referred to the Probation Officer in order to give tho accused a chance. He would deal with the charges as leniently as he could because the woman was in a position thab would caueo inconvenienco and suffering on others if she wan aont to goal for a term. A line would therefore be inflicted of 40.3 in each case, and in default of each payment M days' imprisonment with hard labour. If the fino was paid for one offence now, the next need nob be paid for 14 days, and the third not until 14 days later, so as to allow time to obtain tho monoy. These larcenies on the part of the prisoner showed deliberation, and appeared to have been carried on for a length of time. Mr Samways, husband of the accusod, said, "My wife gob into the hands of tho money lenders your worship. She got into debt, and unknown to mo gave a bill of eale over my furniture, making out that it was,her own, They pressed her for payment, telling her that if she did nob pay 5s by 10.30 o'clock on Monday morning the bailiffs would be pub in tho house. This drove my wife to steal these boots. She used to take them to tho second-hand shops, und before she returned homo she took what she gob to the money lenders." Dr. Giles said he was very Borry for Mr Samwaya and for the prisoner also, but having stolen Bhe inusb take the consequences.