PRISONERS SENTENCED.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 164, 11 July 1919, Page 5

PRISONERS SENTENCED.

BREACHES OF PROBATION. FOUR YEARS' "REFORMATIVE." FOR OLD OFFENDER. Four prisoners wore brought up at the Supreme Court this morning, before Mr. Justice llosking, three of them at the instance of the Probation Ofliei'r (Rev. F. R. Jeffreys), who alleged that they had broken terms on which probation had been granted to them. If on. J. A. Tole, K.l'., appeared for the Crowu. Michael McCann, with several aliases and a number of previous convictions, appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a gun and other goods from a dwelling at Kimbolton. *lle asked to be given another chance, but had nothing else to say. He was sentenced to not more than four years' reformative detention. "JACK JOHNSON'S" HTSTORY. Harvey Katherine Johnston, a woman of about 40, more generally known as "Jack Johnson,' , delivered a long I harangue from the dock when charged 1 with breaking the terms of her proba- ! tion. She declared in particular that the ! police had a grudge against her, and that I they were responsible for her present I situation. 9

Constable Mcllugh gave .evidence that lie arrested the woman on June 18. She whs then very drunk, and was living in a house with a number of undesirables. ! She was wearing a dressing gown and little else, and he was unable to induce I her to put on more clothes, so that he had to take her away in a taxi-cab ju^t The probation officer stated that the woman was placed under his supervision in September last. She was not at all amenable to discipline, and had defied all liis efforts <f>n her behalf. Ho had her brought up for a breach of the conditions in May last, and she was given another chance. There was now no doubt that she had been leading an immoral life. He asked to be relieved of all responsibility for her. The accused vehemently protested against the allegation of immorality, ana after hearing her to the end his Honor ordered her to be detained for reformative purposes for not more than two years. SEQUEL TO AN ELOrE.UENT. Nicholas Quintal, a Norfolk Islander, who had been admitted to probation last September for two years on a charge of false pretences, was the subject of a similar application. The Pro- ! bat ion Officer stated that the man failed Ito report after October, and was aecord- | ingly gazetted for arrest. He was I located in March, but as he had done ! good work in the epidemic, and was suffering from the v effects of influenza, he was given another chance. Later on he left the city without permission, in company with a girl of 19, whom he passed oft' as his wife. He did not wish to have any further responsibility for the man. Quintal was sentenced to not more than two years' reformative detention.

A TALE OF DECEPTION. A rather undersized youth of 19, named Charles Downing , , alias Lawrence Downing, was also brought up. The Probation Officer stated that Downing, who had been admitted to three years' probation at Hamilton in June of last year, appeared at the Auckland Police Court subsequently. <Jiarged with theft. He was in uniform, and falsely claimed to be a returned soldier suffering from shell-shoclc&giving the name of Lawrence j Downing. He was admitted to probation. On being questioned as to his I apparent identity with Charles Downing he denied it. A few days Liter he stole some clothing from a friend, and attempted to get away by signing —under a false name—on board the steamer Mapourika, where he was arrested. A comparison of finger prints then showed that he was identical with the other Downing. He had not been imprisoned for the new offence, but when this new discover}' was made witness had him arrested at once. He had lied systematically right through, and was quite I outside the coope of probation. Constable Wade, of said that he had Downing under supervision. The accused had to go into a territorial camp for training, but when the camp was over he did not come back. His employers alleged that he had misappropriated moneys passing throueh his hands, and he failed to 'bring back a rug which had been lent him when he went to camp. His Honor remanded accused till Monday, the depositions in the earlier proceedings not being available.