FLEA FOR LAST CHANCE

Evening Star, Issue 21170, 2 August 1932, Page 11

FLEA FOR LAST CHANCE

DRAMATIC SPEECH FRDM DOCK UNIVERSITY MAN’S FALL Educated at Oxford University, and at one time assistant master at a grammar school in London, a clergyman’s son, who pleaded guilty at Liverpool a few weeks ago to forgery and to a motor car by false pretences, made a dramatic appeal to Mr Justice Hawke for a “last chance to go straight.” In tho dock stood Edward Christopher Wade, aged thirty-two, described as a clerk of no fixed address. He asked for eight other cases of obtaining money by means of worthless cheques to be taken into con. sideration, and was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment. Counsel for the prosecution explained that by means of “ dud ” cheques Wade obtained a motor car worth £7O and £l4- 15s 6d from a Liverpool solicitor. A detectiva stated that Wade belonged to a most respectable family. Wade served in the Army during tha war, and on demobilisation returned fo Oxford University. From 1921 to 1924 he was in business on his own account, and from 1924 to 1927 he was employed as clerk at motor works at Coventry. He then went to Germany, where he obtained work as an accountant, and when lie returned to Britain in 1928 he became a teacher of languages, and, later on, assistant master, at a grammar school in London. SERIES OF OFFENCES. While occupying the last-mentioned post Wade obtained £5 by false pretences from tha headmaster, and absconded. He was not arrested until June of last year, and at Epfield Petty Sessions he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, the Bench taking into consideration two thefts of motor cars at Coventry and Armagh. , The inspector added that tho eight additional offences Wade now asked the judge to lake into consideration were committed at York, Hull, Manchester, and Todmorden, and all related to the passing of worthless cheques. , ; In a speech from the dock Wade, an athletic-looking man, dressed in a -faded grey suit, made a pathetic appeal for leniency. “ Until the time I became an assistant master in London 1 was a respect, able and useful member of ha said, speaking in a cultured tone. _“ At that time my wife was working for a divorce in order to many someone else, and my child, who was in the custody of my parents, was taken away by means of “ I was heavily in debt at the time, and, to add to my misfortune, X was severely injured in a motor car accident, which neces. sitated my absence from duty for months. It was in these circumstances and while actually, under medical treatment for injuries to the head, that I committed the offence referred to and absconded" to tha Continent.” “ STARVING IN THE STREETS.” “ When I returned to this country and - was arrested and charged at Enfield I was brought before a Bench of. magistrates, some of whom were actually my employers, at the school and who, morally, if neb legally, owed me a far larger sum than that mentioned in the charge. “ My counsel told the court that if they would bind me over as a first offender work. would be found for me, and that I had, given my word of honour to go straight. Instead of binding me over the Court thought otherwise, and sentenced me to six months’ hard labour.” Wade went on to say that while m gaol the Board of Education disqualified him from holding a teaching certificate, and three months after he had come out he was' starving in tho streets of London. ‘ I went) to Bowton Houses, and crypt of St. Mar. | tin’s-in-the-Field, and other places for sucli i men,” he added, “and decided that Ij would live somehow. And so I started on' the career of which the detective has spoken.” FINAL PLEA FOR LENIENCY. Following a pause, Wade went on tv say that it was the intention of his father,! a clergyman, who was very old, to have come to court on his behalf. “ But he is not bore,” Wade continued. “He is too ill;’too old. He was willing to take me home and give me a further chance, and he is the person most injured by what I have done. “ I have already been subjected to every humiliation that breaking the law can bring a man. This court cannot punish me any further, whatever it does, but it can taka away possibly the last chance I shall ever have to go straight.” In passing sentence Mr Justice Hawka expressed the hope that Wade would make a big effort when he came out of gaol to rehabilitate himself. “ There is still a possibility of hope in your case,” the judga concluded.