CRIME WRITER SENTENCED

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1931, Page 10

CRIME WRITER SENTENCED

A JUDGE’S RETORT. LONDON, September 9. George Charles Gordon, 47. described as a mechanic, who said that he had earned from £6OO to £7OO by writing articles on crime, was at the Old Bailey yesterday sentenced to IS months’ hard labour for stealing a diamond pendant and chain worth £5OO. When seh'te'nbed lie sa'i'd ‘ to’tlie Recorder (Sir Ernest Wild, K.C.): I asked for bread and you have given me a stone. The Recorder: I might have given you two stones. Mrs. Evelyn Maude Montague, describing the robbery, said that as she was leaving the Hippodrome somebody sprang at her and stole her pendant and chain, which had not been recovered. Detective-Sergeant Leslie said that Gordon had written numerous articles on crime, and they had been published in book form under the title of “Crooks of the Underworld.” "From infancy,” said Gordon, in the witness-box, “I knew no home. I was put out to a decent school until I was 13. Then, as those responsible failed to pay the fees, I was put into the workhouse.

“I escaped the first night, and, unfortunately, I fell among thieves. I went right into the lap of crime. I was taught to be a sneak-thief and pilferer until I was 17, when I was caught and sentenced for house-break-ing. “There was no Borstal system in vogue then, and I was herded with criminals and old lags. When I had finished I can say that my education in crime was complete. “TREACLE PLASTER OUTRAGE.” “I came out and carried on throughout the years until I was arrested for what was known as the Blackfriars treacle plaster outrage. I was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude, although I swear I was absolutely innocent on that occasion. Three others were tried with me, and every, one was innocent. The jury disagreed the first time, and the second time we were convicted before Mr. Justice Avory. “Mr. Fox-Davies, who defended me, did all he could to establish my innocence and became my friend. While serving my sentence war broke out. I dunned the Home Secretary with, petitions to go to the front, but to no effect. When I was the war was over, and I had nothing else to do but start where I had left off. “In 1920 Mr. Fox-Davies introduced me to an editor who engaged me to write a series of articles on crime. I received from £6OO to £7OO in three oi’ four years. Then my powers of writing became exhausted. I had to throw my hand in and went back to crime.” Gordon added that he was despondent when he saw Mrs Montague in evening dress, wearing magnificent diamonds, and before he knew what he was doing he snatched the pendant and ran. The Recorder told him that but for the fact that for nearly five years he had gone straight, he would have been sent to a long term of penal servitude.