INNOCENT VAGRANTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10865, 15 January 1901, Page 2

INNOCENT VAGRANTS.

WHERE SHOULD THEY GO ? An old man named Alexander Milne appeared before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M,. at the Magistrate's Court on Saturday, charged with having insufficient visible lawfid means of support.

The old man, who had been staying at the Samaritan Home, receives a pension of 5d a day, and on tho last occasion when it became due he left the Home and went aoroiul and got drunk, in which condition he returned to the home, but was rtfussd admittance. Since than he had been wandering about the streets, and yesterday _ lie o-ave himself up to the sergeant of police at Addington. The Magistrate, after remarking that some of these homes should be endowed with the power of detention, said that it seemed to be a perfect scandal that the- _-:iol was the only place to send these old men, who could not earn their own livin-*s. It was not fair to the Magistrate to ask him to treat as a criminal a person whose solo offence was that he was too old to earn his own living. He had protested against it before, and should protest against it at every possible opportunity. Mutter-- should not "remain as they were, and proper provision should be made for dealing with such cases.

Inspector Ellison asked the accused il he thought he would not be as well off in gaol as walking about the country. "Most undoubtedly," replied the man. The Magistrate sentenced him to three months' imprisonment.