LAW REPORTS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 11

LAW REPORTS

::;;.;':3^: : ,;.;;^ S :S THE POISON OF ."CRIMINAL TAINT." f'ii-iC *Boforo;;Mr. i/Justico/ Cooper ?yest« r, 3 a y..-; a ;:•;V;:^^oon : yea^old;boy named, Denis;.BiiAard v': "guilty tea serious 0. at ", was brought -forward. for o : i : "Be'htdnce^:: J :;' :; ;v' "''. : :L y ,; .- : - .';!■■■.'-■-• ■';■'.-' -' '-■ '.>.-'■■:'■■■' W : A?' : His ■Honqiir-said--that was aniox-. ■■>■' : ccedingly'bad'one,. : and he did not 3 : deatwith it.: Had prisoner been .-;' b£ ; -tnatu.re yearsho would have ordered him to ; .->.:::---be;B6^ed : .and ; impris(>riea/for.a:lons-penpd. S , It was plain from tlie police. pris-- ■: I'oner belonged to a .family in. .Winch orimmal :' ; >taint existed/ There were no means ot treat-l-r-/ing -a lad-of that description in,a; gaol, and '.-■■ r 'to- sendVhirh to' an' industrial school would. -result in , tlie contamination of other toys. ■ ", ■■ ■ -Mteplyinß.to.a question,.tho;governor ot tlio >,^i:ljpartof,;«aoh-.sehbol'set apart;for oriminal .;: : v*Resnming-:h'is /Honour said;that S: opinion that the lad sliou d .be .soundly wlup : " ;; V'tM; and then sent to: an industrial school for ■'•'v'>'.";riongperioa: : - : He'--wquldl , aT*--in,quiriee,;inade -■ '■ ■ ■'to ascertain, what- provision- tnere was m in-, ■y■ --ddstrial: schools for the raccominoantion of: a. :; .-'criminal lad-wHp;liad-been guilty, of suchanv '■- '.abominable'.crime: , , The- boy, perhaps coiild ./'not holp his position, Of :tne familyto which ■-'••'Xhe-'b'elorig^' , oneVmemb!e.f*had'.been':'sentenced '■■J/'^-to'itffb^yeafs'^'imp.ri.sbniilient'fM : a serious of';'V;fence; another had.an osceedingly:bad char- ; >/' ~aot«r;. and a tliird! had ,been' convicted 'of ■■•■;Vv^eft;~'. : 'Ac(»iSinE^'4^e;-po|i<»/T?.P o rti-V.™e -- 'right and;wroni;.'--iThe lad !could .neither road ■ ; :'ni*r ,Write: ■:' and .one; could not help /feeling {'" lity for:hrm, but it'was essential in the pub.ic interest that, hel!should-'-be..confined some-, -■■;' '■;■ where ■ for 'a'ilontf,'period; In order that'the ':-.. inquiries which ho Had indicated, .isliould. be, .... ,made ; he-would. 1 defer 'sentence, until nerf ,•::■-.' ''inomingy/i.c.'v; '//^ ; " ; -: ': :ii-,'' ■:'- //:',;-/-''-^ : : BEEOIIE THE ,CQURT. ■ V , ■£. Should;probation be'granted?: ■ >: James ; Ar6her iCrooks,': who •'..."■■'■ had' admitted a charge ojf.bigamy, was pre- / Bent«d for sentence:'-/ ; . ■ .'■ •: -.. . ;/-'' . ./;''i-MrvD.. M.; ; Findla.y.-spoke .in mitigation.-' : -v"..''Prisoner;had,"he,said,-:beeh;leadjrig a,..feput-' : .;:, able '':■ life, and. had.properly /rnaiiitained. the v . woman'Whom-he'had last married'.. His'legal.,■.:>;wife he'd -been.left by : ,Jiim; at ; Dannevirke in / ' oircumstances in whioK.she,.was;able to;niaiii- ■■••.■; ,tainlhersyf"iuid.-faniily.'/"/;/. ; : - ; ;-;:/-.-'/ '■' "■■ T'His Honour: Prisoner.left his-legal wife in ■ ';',':. '-lOpO; and; -so"; far from /having- treated ;her' ;..properly/ he'has/been,convicted of excessive -'.-- .'drinking and; fined -for- assaultrupori her. , ;- ■-'• :, ■; ; ..!.:,Counser, --resuming,; mentioned that after. ■'. 'taking,to drink prisoner -left, his wife, who ; :. had 17.acresof land (on whiph evorything was ;■/ '.certainly; not paid); together: with" stock. .He ; -;\/went v to'Millerton,;"on,the , ' West;,Coast, ; and / : m-arriedj.a second.time. underpins own ■•■■'..■' '.No steps Were taken against'him-. by his legal. ;?//wife;; anditjwas-probable that ; the ! present ': '/ .proceedings;wpujd not have been taken tad it. .'.-./■. not-been that his.wife made inquiries with a I /view to 'seenririg a divorce. /Although there / jhad>been ; assenous ■/.//.'■ y;:;. = ~'His'.,Honour: ■Indiscretionf;.: Bigamy t is a' >■''■■''■: oriine'; which' strikes. at'the ..very root of ,'so- ■;■'' : ciety.' i-/''';:/-,';"■ : /'/.'.'■'':■■'■. ''v.--'.'"■'■•'•■' :'■;■' / ;;-V/-;^Oontinmn v g|: , -: : -;.,was'a,inpst, : seripus , crime- to .some', men' was. i'.not'so.serious in the.eyes.of others. It.was '/a-case in which,he.thpught probaition might -• :;\ i .l)ejerahted^ , ;--^;.:.: ,^:'::;';'v'..-yr-'t.-!; ' , . :'- : '" /::; His .'Honour; said; that'he: wpuld'have'iD::;.r/quiries"made;as had been suggested:. Pris;.:,,oner's Jegal;wife.had iad six children during _;•-. the ten;years in--which. : they had resided tor . ;gether.: /When ho .left , her she had a ; baby' '.'•; ; ;iphly 'a;few : months';old. ;, -;By., going through '■ '.the form of marriage.with.the other woman, -prisoner. had 'done'; a-wrong to his ■'. ;: ,,.an;infinite .wrong to/the other L-wpman, : and, , > :: a':.wrong":to :the- latte'r's;childreri/ : who 'had' ;■' '■'■>■■:. been brought into .the-world'With the tain* of y.'/illegitimacy.:ori; them. /To ; hia. mind;-:bigamy :■-.\' : : /.(when ;a: man,.inarned ; knojvr' > ■',-;: irig .that his first :wife ; was living7"wa's' a crime ."■ /.which, was far'.too serious to surest'that .it ' • vcoTtldbejmet.by plaoine the offender on pro- '.-•:. bation. , ': Sentence would be deferred until /:■ /theifollowiiig'Tuesday;' : ' ;■-■'/-. /./;■:■ -