HABITUAL CRIMINAL RECAPTURED

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 331, 19 October 1908, Page 7

HABITUAL CRIMINAL RECAPTURED

WASTED KINDNESS. After an interval of seven weeks, Archibald M'Neill, an habitual criminal who escaped from a farm at Bell Block, whither he had boon sent on. probation, has been rearrested. M'Neill, who has served sentences in several gaols in tho Dominion, was, upon conviction at Wellington in August,' 1907, declared a,n habitual criminal. He then became the first prisoner !to be confined in the habitual criminals', wing of tho Now Plymouth gaol, and was there by himself for about eight months. Lack of company, it appears, so preyed on M'Neill's mind that ho frequently implored tho gaolers to bo allowed out. Ultimately he forwarded to the Government a petition, which was referred to Mr. Justice Cooper, who inquired into tho case. In due. course tho matter was referred to a consultative committee consisting of tho local magistrate and visiting justicos, who submitted to tho Government a favourable recommendation, in accordance with which M'Neill was' released on condition that ho remained on the farm at Bell Block for two years. It cannot bo gainsaid that M'Neill was treated very kindly at the farm, wliero lie was not required to do much work. 'Once a month, as required by the terms of his probation, he reported himself to the police. In August last ha left tho farm without permission, and had remained at liberty until yesterday, when ho was arrested at Invercargill.

A second charge lias been preferred against M'Neill, of having obtained £5 from Mr. Edmund Carroll, of Willis Street, by moans of false representations. It is alleged that some.days after he escaped from Bell Block M'Neill represented to Mr. Carroll that ho was Captain Holmes, of the steamer Matatua, then lying in tho stream. During tho course of further conversation, it is alleged, ho told Mr. Carroll that' ho had on board somo parrots, etc., which Mr. Carroll's brother in South Africa had asked him to deliver. After further conversation had taken place M'Neill, it is alleged, obtained the loan of tho money in question.