THE CASE OF THE LAD GILLESPIE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10920, 31 March 1896, Page 6

THE CASE OF THE LAD GILLESPIE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sie, —While thanking “ Parent ” for his suggestion in your Saturday’s issue, I have great pleasure in informing him and others of your readers that some days ago, at the instance of this lad’s parents, I communicated with the Hon,the Minister of Justice, and demanded that a searching inquiry should be held respecting the conduct of the convicting Justices, who most inhumanly sentenced,lastweek,alad of eighteen, with no previous criminal experience, to eight days’ solitary confinement in gaol. The facts are briefly thus : —The lad had been in Lyttelton Gaol on a maintenance order, served his six months in default of payment, and after his eight days’ solitary expires, or has expired, has now to serve another three months. The facts arising out of this case are simply these: —On the order the wooden-headed constable arrested the boy on the Coast, took him to the gaol, introduced him therein, and loft him with the cell door open. What would any boy naturally do with a love of freedom but walk out to regain his-liberty? This he simply did. —I am, &c., •MICHAEL HART.