SENTENCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1909, Page 7

SENTENCES.

PRISONERS IN THE SUPREME COURT. A MAN WITH TWO NAMES. TWO YEARS' ON EACH A novel predicament befell Mr. Justice Chapman this morning when he was tufted on to sentence George Richardson, who had pleaded guilty to forat Mangaweka. Richardson, a young man, said he had no previous convictions against him. Mr. Myers submitted that under the name George Allen, he had been convicted thrice before of various offences of a larcenous nature. Under the name Allen he would also appear before his Honour on a charge of forgery and uttering at Carterton. From Carterton he had gone to Mangaweka, where he passed under another name, that "of Richardson. The first offence took place in November, 1908, since when Allen, alias Richardson, had been wanted by the police. His Honour said that the prisoner had evidently entered upon a career of crime, his crimes were not committed in one raid, or under one impulse, but on occasions quite distinct, and the sentences he had already received did not seem to have had a salutary effect on him. "I shall have to increase your sentences," said his Honour.^ "What I propose to do in regard to the charges against you under two names, is to sentence you separately under each charge, but to make the sentences, concurrent. You are sentenced tc two years' hard labour on each charge." PROBATION FOR A YOUNG MAN. Arthur Frake, a young Tasmanian, aged 19, had pleaded guilty to theft and forgery at Napier. He stole a cheque from a mate's pocket-book and forged the endorsement in the name of Farrington. He had no previous conviction against him. During his eight months' residence in New Zealand he had borne a good character, working at the Blackball mine, and afterwards in the Napier district. Mr. Myers suggested that the sum, £4 15s bd, found in his possession, and £5 10s due to him as wages, should be devoted to repaying the amount of which the prosecutor had been defrauded, £8 JOs, leaving him a small balance. His Honour: He must be allowed something to get away to where he can get work. He has good recommendations from the Commonwealth authorities. The prisoner expressed his willingness to give the probation officer an order on his wages to make up the sum lost. His Honour said he was not sure he was not stretching a point in admitting the prisoner to probation, but he liked to do so in the case of a young fellow, against whom there was no previous charge or conviction. The prisoner must understand that from that time he must be strictly accountable for his actions. The term of the probation wouid be two years, and the prisoner would have to forfeit%the *>* 10s out of the wages due to him, and £4 out of the money found in his possession, to reimburse the prosecutor Tor his loss by the theft. On the second charge he would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. "I have had occasion to say before," added the Judge, "that, it is about time that the Court ceased to grant probation in cases like these. There have been so many crimes of this kind that it is somewhat of a difficult matter, somewhat of a stretch, to allow probation, but I dc not like to see a young fellow, who has borne a gooii character, go to gaol without having a chance. I hope you will bear tbut in mind." FURTHER ENQUIRIES NECESSARY. "V John J. Driscoll, the next prisoner, was another young man. He had pleaded guilty to a charge of theft from a dwelling. He had gone into the City Buffet Hotel, and come crat dressed in another man's clothes, without being able to explain his quick change artistry. Nothing was known about him by the police, save that he arrived in the Dominion last June. He had been working in a sawmill near Taumarunui, until his recent appearance on the scene in Wellington. His Honour ordered the case stand ojer until Monday, in order to give the probation officer time for further enquiries AN UNUSUAL CASE. The case of Rose 'M'lnnes was peculiar. She was a young woman, of prepossessing appearance, and entered, the dock with a baby in her arms. It appeared from the statements of the Crown Prosecutor that she had pieaded guilty to making a false statement on oath at Haeting6. His Honour read some papers handed in, and observed: "This is a peculiar case — it is absolutely unique in. my experience. The parties in a criminal proceedings have since married. They had the reputation previously of being man and wife. Tho prisoner appears to have sworn an information against the man, whom she called fier husband, to have him arrested on a charge of deserting her. They had been living together, and are since married. She said she did not know the law. I cannot believe that; but to send her to prison would mean breaking up her home. The punishment woold fall as much, on her child as on herself. There is some prospect of her leading an honest life with her husband, now she is married. I don't want to imperil that prospect. The proper course is to order her to come up for sentence when called upon." That course was adopted by his Honour, who gave the young woman a lecture on the error of her ways, and admonished her to live well in the future, and do her best to help her husband.

Bishop Wailis and the Revs. C. C. Harper, T. H. Sprott, and A. M. Johnston will attend the Anglican Conference, to be held in Christchurch ne:%t •week. The details of the proposed sewerage scheme for Pctone will not be worked out- so as to be ready for submission to the ratepayers until some six or eight months hence. Au the meeting of the District Hospital Board this morning, the chairman (Mr. J. P. Luke) stated that a difference of £160 would be made in receipts by the Government taking over the Manawatu railway. Wellington city 1 would be effected to the extent of £26 fas, Horowhenua County £75 14s, Hutt County £26 9s, Makara County £22 6s, Onslow Borough £4 Bs, Levin Borough £3 3s, and Johnsonville Board £1 14s. Representations are to be made to the Government concerning the recouping of this sum. Mr. R. C. Kirk announced that the Government's action affected the Charitable Aid Board to the extent of £65. Members, generally, expressed surprise at the smallness of the deficit Rampant ruthless reductions in drapery are advertised by E. J. Leydon and Co., who have purchased the stock of the D.S.A., Cuba-street. The sale begins to-morrow at 9 o'clock, and it is like giving the goods away at the prices they are marked.- Everyone who wants a bargais should call early, as the goods are sure to go at once. A genuine eale at half-sale prices.— Advt.