DESCENT TOO EASY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 80, 2 April 1908, Page 5

DESCENT TOO EASY.

THE CASE OF MAY CURTIN. A CHANCE TO REFORM. The girl May Curtin, remanded from last week on charges of stealing sundry articles of jewellery last month, entered again, to all appearances, suffering acutely from the realisation of her unhappy position. The happenings to the accused girl during the last few months have been swift and tragic accessories to her present sadly parlous state. ' An orphan, biit brought up amid the most estimable environment of care and culture, she became last year thrown upon her own resources in Ixmdon, the city of so many ashes, and here her personal attractiveness obtained for her the attentions of a man, to escape* whom she decided to flee the country. So she emigrated to New Zealand, coming here under contract as help to an Auckland lady; but on the voyage her feminine yearning for the protector's strong arm led her in a weak moment to the toils, and upon arrival here she consented to live with a fellow immigrant as his wife. This liaison soon wearied the man, and, deserted, the girl cast about for a means of livelihood, obtaining a place as barmaid in an hotel at the Thames. Here temptation breached the rampart of her honesty, a bangle being the first bauble to pass irregularly into her possession, while, later, a diamond ring was cozened from a seafaring visitor and taken away with her to Napier, whither she afterwards journeyed to escape possible consequences, and where she was arrested. Mr. Singer, the accuseds counsel, in pleading guilty for her, explained that his client was so weak physically that she would be utterly unable'to stand the nervous strain of the wait and trial at the Supremo Court, the alleged value of the diamond ring (£3O) making that unavoidable. He proposed, therefore, to call evidence to show that this ring was worth less than £20. thus bringing her within summary jurisdiction. All the stolen property had been restored, said Mr. Singer. Chief Detective Marsack objected, saying that witnesses could be called to show that the ring was, if anything, un-der-estimated. Two jewellers, Adolph Kohn and George Minnott, went into the box and declared in turn that the ring was worth £18 and £30, Minnott adding, however, that he would not give the £30 were he buying it. His Worship finally decided to take the more lenient estimate, and in answer to Mr. Singer's application for an order to allow the girl to go into the custody of friends who were willing to enter into a bond for her good behaviour, agreed that it was a painful case, although judgment must not be overruled by feelings. He did not wish to send the girl to gaol if there -were any reasonable hope of reform, and although she did not seem qualified for tlie advantages of the First Offenders' Act, yet under the circumstances he felt justified in dealing with her under the power given him by the Summary Jurisdiction Act. It was, in his opinion, desirable that she should be rescued from the blackguards into whose clutches she had fallen, and be given another chance of rehabilitation, and with that end, and taking everything into consideration, he decided to convict and discharge the girl upon her friends entering into a £50 bond that they would, without fee or reward, care for, maintain, and protect her for six months. The girl would also be required o report herself fortnightly to Mrs. Hutchison, of the Door of Hope; and in the event of any breach of the conditions, she must at once surrender herself to the proper authorities to be iealt with accordingly.