SLIPPING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 21 September 1926, Page 7

SLIPPING.

DOWNWARD PATH OF LOCAL RESIDENT. A young man., apparently in the best of physical health, and one who until recently lias held good posts in this district, appeared -at the Police Court at Hawera this morning, charged with being a. rogue and vagabond. The offenderis not a drunkard. ,Sergeant Henry spoke definitely of this circumstance, and. the fact that lie had no vices. He merely seemed! to have lost interest in himself, and, were the necessary vigorous steps not taken there was no saying where the downward path would end. Dr. Sinclair, who had been called by ther police, to examine the accused, assured; Mr L. A. Bone, who occupied! the Bench, that the accused had. still sufficient -manhood. left to pull himself together if he tried. The circumstances of the story, as related bv Sergeant Henry, were to the effect that word had .been received! by the police that somebody was sleeping in St. Mary’s Hall. Hawera. Last night the porice visited the place and found the accused rolled up in a, rug, asleep. He admitted having been there on pervious nights. His parents, continued the sergeant, were very respectable people, and some two or three years ago the accused himself had been employed by good firms. In. the last twelves months, however, he liadl been noticed to he going down and down, though lie had always been well conducted. The police diid not press) for a penalty, but they felt that adequate supervision should be exercised over the accused. There was no .suggestion that he was on the premises, with intent to commit a crime. Mi- P. O’Dea, appeared for the accused, and stated that certain, wellknown people of this district were in attendance at the Court, and they were prepared to give the, accused any help they could. Mr O’Dea, called Dr. Sinclair, who gave evidence indicating the ,general mental, condition of the accused' unless h<v made a necessary and possible effort to mill himself together. The Bench also lamented the, fact that the accused should have allowed himself to get into such, a. condition. It was possible, under the Act, to imprison accused for three months, or fine him £TO. However, in vjew of the circumstances, lie would be ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months, and to report to the police in the, meantime as if on probation. An order was made for the suppression •"? accused’s name.