A MODERN FAGIN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 16

A MODERN FAGIN

Taught Children To Steal

Efforts are being made to restore to a Liverpool mother her two Children who were committed in the Juvenile Court to approved schools for thefts which, it was subsequently discovered, had been carried out under the instruction and direction of their father. An order to the police to try to have the children brought home was given by the Recorder, Mr. E. G. Hemmerde, K.C., nt the City Quarter Sessions, when the parents appeared in the dock. The father, Ernest James Archer, aged 36, of Hyde Street, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to 16 charges of receiving stolen property and to inciting the two eldest of his six children, a girl of 14 and a boy of 12, to steal, and was sentenced to four years’ penal servitude. Eor assaulting the same daughter he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour, the two terms to be concurrent. Mary Ellen Archer, aged 32, the man’s wife, pleaded guilty to receiving 24 fountain pens and other articles, the property of the Lancashire Pen Company, by whom the girl was employed, and was bound over. Five other charges against her of receiving were withdrawn. According to Mr. George Penk, prosecuting, Archer had not only sent his children out to steal, but had actually taught them how to do it, and in some Instances bad accompanied them. The assault upon the daughter was of a brutal nature.

Detective-Inspector Thomson told the Court that Archer had been a seafarer, and during the war served on a cruiser. Afterwards, for a year, he was a tram conductor in Liverpool, and had also worked as a dock labourer. For over two years he had been supported by the Public Assistance Committee.

He had been convicted for wounding his wife, for an aggravated asault on her, for neglecting to maintain his wife and children, shop and cinema breaking and theft. There was nothing against Mrs. Archer. Turning to Mrs. Archer, the Recorder observed: “I don’t propose to send you to prison. The view I have formed is that you have been very much more sinned against than sinning, and I have instructed the police to see what can be done about your two children, who are at present in an approved school. I imagine you would like to have them with you.” Mrs. Archer: Yes. Recorder: Well, we will see what can be done about that. Passing sentence as stated on Archer, the Recorder told him, “Your case is about as bad as any case could be. I have not only never had a case like this before me. but in all my experience I don’t think I have ever heard of a case of the sort. Nothing has been said in your favour, nor, as far as I can see, could anything be said,”