A YOUTHFUL ESCAPADE,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 43, 14 November 1907, Page 5

A YOUTHFUL ESCAPADE,

I'lliLVG A' CHINAMAN'S PREMISES. '.., A youth of 18, William Walter Burgess," camp up lor sentence in the Supreme Court '' yesterday before .Mr. Justico 'liutton'.' Ac-. .. "cusod had pleaded guilty to a charge' , of •■• arson, having set fire to an outhouse adjoining a Chinainan'V promises.' There wero>. two other youths concerned in the chargn ~ and they are awaiting trial in the Supreme Court. ' ' ' '" ■ ■ Mr. Myers appeared for the -Crown',: and''■ >lr. G. &l. Wilford for accused. The accused's mother (a widow), Arthur E. King, Michael Tracy, ■ Thum'as Mulligan, and Francis Champion, were called as wit-, nesses to state, that the lad had always boon. o' r good behaviour .hitherto.' ' . After'pointing'out that only trivial dam- .', ago had been'doncby the firo, Mr. Wilford . made an appeal oil prisoner's behalf. Ho suggested that in tho interests-of justice and mercy, it would be proper to bind tho youth over to come up for sentence if called. '..'. upon. . ....... . ■' ' ' His Honour had the youth brought for- ■ ward, and rend him. a.homily on the heinousness of his crime, for which ho. might ho im- .. prisoned for'life. Tho case was complicated by tho fact that the offence was perpetrated on a Chinaman.. If prisoner was allowed to . . go free, others might take it that a:premium was set upon maltreating Chinese. Tho ■' Chinese were as_ much entitled to protection hero as wero British , subjects in China. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, howfcyer, he was prepared to admit the vouth to probation for too years. Tho conditions wore that ho paid the costs of tho prose- ' cution, ,JE3 25., in. instalments, within six months,. and did not go out after 8 p.m. without the permission of the probation officer, during the probation. ■■■ ■ '