A SERIOUS CASE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 November 1927, Page 2

A SERIOUS CASE.

SCOUTMASTER’S FALL. tBY TEI/EGKArE-PBESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, October 31. “I look upon this a® a- very serious case indeed. The institution with which you ‘have been associated, the- Boy rieo-ut movement, is profoaMy one oi the finest institutions of its kind ever founded, its main idea is to inculcate morality, honesty and good citizenship into tire minds of its members. In order to secure that the authorities ate obliged to invite persons of mature age to take charge- of the boys in the movement and teach, them in those directions. You- held that appointment and instead of teaching them, you went the other way about and attempted to teach them serious things that may affect the boys’ whole lives.” In this manner, Mr Justice Reed addressed Thomas John Davis, aged 59 yeans- an ex-scoutmaster, commission agent and inspector for the Society tor t-ne Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of T-auranga, who- came before him in the Supreme Court for sentence <hi five charges of indecent assault on males. Davies was accustomed to taking the scouts of his troop on excursions and interfering with them in an indecent manner.

His Honour said that had the jury not recommended mercy on account of tiie accused’s age, he would have inflicted -a penalty much more severe than he intended to. Ho- must make the penalty heavy to.- warn men associated writh such organisations as the accused was connected with that offences of the nature disclosed were treated seriously by the Court. Accused was then sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.