LIFE IMPRISONMENT ENDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1940, Page 4

LIFE IMPRISONMENT ENDS

SYDNEY MAN’S RELEASE

SYDNEY, January 24

Samuel (“Jewy”) Freeman, 63, will be released from Parramatta GaOl this month, after 25 years’ imprisonment Only three other men now in State prisons have served longer terms. Freeman’s release was recommended by the Minister of Justice (Mr. Treatt), and has been approved by the Cabinet. Medical reports say that Freeman is in fairly good health, but that further imprisonment may affect him mentally. Freeman was convicted on August 31, 1914, on a charge of having feloniously wounded with intent to murder. Sentence of K death was recorded, but it was commuted to life imprisonment on September 29, 1914. The charge was laid against Freeman as a result of an attempt by two men to break into the Oxford Street Post Office. A nightwatchman saw’ Freeman outside and chased him. Freeman fired a revolver at him. The bullet passed through the watchman’s cheek and hit a tramway fettler in the mouth, knocking out three teeth. Freeman escaped.

Two days later two railway paymasters were taking money into the Evelcigh railway shops. Two masked men held them up with revolvers, stole the cash box containing £3303, and' escaped. Freeman was arrested a few days later, after presenting a revolver at the police and threatening to shoot. After being sentenced to death for the Oxford Street shooting, he was charged with the Eveleigh hold-up. On September 9. 1914, he was sentenced for this to 10 years’ imprisonment, concurrent on each of two charges of robbery while being armed, and robbery in company. Life sentences are reckoned on the prisoner’s expectation of life at the time sentence is passed. As Freeman was 38 when sentenced, his life sentence was reckoned at 31 years. Good conduct and other remissions reduced this to 25 years, which expires this month. Freeman has been promised employment, and has saved about £l3O since being in gaol.