THE "PENNY HORRIBLE."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 9

THE "PENNY HORRIBLE."

: YOUTHFUL BURGLARS • DEALT WITH. STRONG' REMARKS BY-'JUDGE COOPER. V (BY TELECnArH—SPECIAL .CORREBrONDKNT.) i- ■ ;/ • -I Naplsr, March 3. • Tho'penny i'horrible. showed its .jpernicibiis •results' at tho/opening of the' Supreme; Court here Yesterday.. Three'youtlis, Percy. Jones, 'William Percival Hughes,: and', Rbber't 1 Jairii.es ' ■Cleai-ldri; .pleadeij "j;j(lty. to. eight/charges of 'breaking and/enroling and/ theft.-. It was stated ,on,'their behalf that'their'.'minds/.hadbeen polluted through reading penny horribles, and-Mr. Justice Cooper, in passing sontence', said that ho knew something of this class of literature, as it was not- the first i'tinio it 'had come .'before him.' -; f

His :Honour' continued, " I.,should like' to ha-va tho power to call, before me-tho man '\vljo sold these books,-:-and I would like to have tlio power to send .that man to gaol. Wo have-made' provision !in our "legislation toi prohibit the salo of obscene .arid indecent literature, but this class of literature is just as; bad. . This company, ■ the Aldine;.Publishing,Company,; deserves:to bo pilloried, aiid I see . that rit publishes, the Dick Turpin Library', the ' Jack Shepherd Library,' and tho Ola:u!c Duval, Library.' Theso .were three highwaymen and notorious . criminals,, whose careers have, been interpreted in these books as those of men whom boys are desired t> emulate. I. regret that the, law; jit, tho present' timo :does not,..;bring, these publishers within its mcshos. I,wish that;.it did,' arid that ...this literature , could.; bo stopped. , -J • wisli,l. knew the men who sold this literature' to these . I would say something to ;tliem ,tliat if they had nny sense of shame at all would prevent the,, further dissemination of; this class of; literature for, tho sake', of a'few'paltry pence. The crimes that, havo been committed by these boys aro diie.to this literature."

Hughes and Jones wero admitted to probation on the first chargo, and-ordered to como up for sentence when called oil, on the remaining seven.' Clcarkin, a diminutive prisoner of 1.1 years of age, was sent home with his mother.