CURSED THE JUDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 26

CURSED THE JUDGE.

CRIMINAL'S OUTBURST. "ROTTING IN YOUR GRAVE." "NEXT CASE," SAYS JUDGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, November 22. • An extraordinary outburst followed the sentencing of an Australian crim-. inal known as the "Human Ostrich," at Sydnev Quarter Sessions this week. Ha cursed the judge and screamed: "I'll be out of gaol when you are rotting in your grave."

The well-known burglar concerned in the incident is one Ernest Connolly, 27 years of age, who pleaded not guilty to having broken into a house at Bellevue Hill, a Sydney suburb. His conviction followed a retirement of only a few minutes on the part of the jurymen, and the Court Recorder then pointed out that he had 19 previous major convictions against his name. Judge Curlewis sentenced Connolly to two years' hard labour, cumulative on a sentence he is now serving, and finished by declaring him an habitual criminal.

It was mentioned by the arresting detective that Connolly, who was shot in the abdomen in an underworld bnawl earlier in the year, was one of the most active housebreakers in Australia. He had been dubbed by gaol authorities the "Human Ostrich," because, during previous sentences, he had exhibited a penchant for swallowing all manner of objects so that he might get into hospital and avoid the gaol routine work. At various times he had accounted for knives and spoons, piqees of glass or crockery and invariably, his schemes had resulted in the questionable relief afforded by a spell in the gaol hospital. When sentence was pronounced the prisoner waved his mother from the [courtroom and wept copiously as he told the judge how he had suffered for his misdeeds of the past. Judge Curlewis remarsed that if Connolly's grief was genuine, he was sorry for him; but he would be lacking in public duty if he failed to punish Connolly. "I notice that your sorrow has not yet put you on the road to reform," added the judge.'

"Do you realise that; you have given me a life sentence?" screamed Connolly, as he changed from weeping to a direct attack on the judge who had sentenced him. Waving Lis arms as he was led from the dock, he cursed the judge and said: "I'll be out when you are rotting in the grave."

Judge Curlewis did not turn a hair. "Let us have the next case," was hi* comment.