PAYING THE PENALTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 12 March 1915, Page 6

PAYING THE PENALTY.

» i PRISONERS SENTENCED. FALSE PRETENCES. Reginald Freeman came up for sentence at the Supreme Court this morning, before Mr. Justice Stringer, on a charge of false pretences, to which he had pleaded guilty. Mr. Wyatt appeared for the prisoner, whose crime was that in the beginning of 1014 he had' drawn a draft in Christehurch for £5 odd on Louis Lewis, of Auckland. He had written advising Lewis (counsel said) of what lie proposed to do, but the draft had been dishonoured. It had been his honest conviction that the draft would be met. The charge had been unreasonably long in being brought, and prisoner had never at any time attempted to go into, hiding. His Honor pointed out that the prisoner hnd already been convicted twice previously in cases involving dishonesty, and ill both he had been treated leniently. A sentence of three months' imprisonment was imposed. YOUNG WOMAN'S MISFORTUNE. Florence May Williams, guilty of the crime of using a noxious drug to attempt to procure miscarriage, was represented by Mr. Allan Moody. She was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, his Honor obsen ing that she appeared to have been more sinned against than sinning. A MENACE TO SOCIETY. George Begnold Bennett, a native of Auckland, and 55 years of age, appeared to kavc lived most of his life in unromantic but useful activity in the bush as a cook, and then suddenly, a few weeks back, to have broken out in v surprisingly enterprising manner ac a housebreaker. He had pleaded guilty to five charges of breaking und entering and false pretences. It was the absence of any "record" which caused his Honor to make inquiries eliciting the information that Bennett wan a native oi Auckland. The only reason the prisoner could give as to his straying from the path of rectitude was that he was short of money. His Honor adjourned Ute hearing until he could get first-hand information from the police, and Detective Cummings attended and explained that the movements of the prisoner had becu unsatisfactory. He had a housebreaker's kit in his possession when arrested. There was still £50 worth of stolen goods missing, and he had refused to say where he was living. The detective suggested that Bennett had not realised the ecrious position he was in, and thnt he might now be prepared to say something about his antecedents and of his movements.

Hie Honor wae not able to obtain any coherent answers from the prisoner, and told him that in the circumstances he must be regarded as a menace to society. A sentence of five years' imprisonment was imposed.