A CONTEMPTIBLE CRIMINAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 100, 29 April 1908, Page 3

A CONTEMPTIBLE CRIMINAL.

- J«AND A REMARKABLE CONTRAST

The slow gradations by which \n» significant fact that the real depravity hardened offender is made, and the of the agent is by no means in proportion to the popular estimate of the magnitude of the crime, are fully appreciated by Mr H. L. Adam, author of " The Story of Crime." " The most contemptible criminal I ever saw was a benign, silvery-haired old woman, who, up to a : point, cut a very creditable figure in the dock. She was perfectly self-composed, wore an expression 'of troubled rectitude, and.seemed rather to be taking part in some ceremony of benediction than standing her trial for criminal offence. She was charged with stealing an overcoat from the cloak room of a school. It appeared that she, having waited until all the scholars were engrossed .in their studies, crept into the cloak room, took the coat from a peg, and walked off with it. She carried the garment straight to a pawnbroker's, pledged it, and with the money adjourned to a neighbouring public-house\ A detective, in the wit-ness-box, gave her a very bad character. This, he explained, was the only form of crime she was known to have committed, but with that she had been many times charged. The coat-stealing was a favourite method with her of raising money with which to obtain drink. As it was in tne winter, and very-cold weather, these thefts inflicted considerable hardship on. the boys who lost them, for they had to go home coatless.

" I cannot recall any other form of crime quite so miserably contemptible as this for an adult offender to commit. Fortunately, upon the occasion in question, the woman was seen to enter the school and emerge therefrom with the coat. She was convicted, and . sentenced by ' the Judge to a longish term of_ imprisonment, on the tale of a scathing moral indictment. It was then the lady's expression of countenance underwent a change, and she cast a look at his lordship that was the reverse of affectionate. But it is. astonishing how impassive and unmoved our Judges can remain in the face of prisoners' ugly looks and lurid invective."

Nothing could be more disastrous than misplaced leniency on the part of the Bench. Yet some of those who dispense justice with a stern eye to the requirements of law are in reality the kindest of men. In this connection Sir Ralph Littler comes in for a word of praise. It was out of an incident in which he was the central figure that the Victoria Fund owed its origin. This fund is always at the disposal of those charitably disposed towards deserving prisoners and their friends.

" Some time ago Sir Ralph sentenced a couple of poachers to five years' penal servitude for nearly killing a gamekeeper. After the sentence was delivered the wives of the tnn came to Sir Ralph, and begged him to reduce the sentence, as it meant the break-up of their homes. This the Judge refused to do, although he instructed the police to make inquiries on behalf of the women. The result was satisfactory, and among other things the police discovered was that one was very handy with the mangle and the other with the sewing machine. Thereupon Sir Ralph bought one a mangle and the other a sewing machine, at the same time instructing the police to levy a small charge on the articles, so that they might not be seized for rent. Time passed, and one night, while Sir Ralph was working at his house in town, his servant announced to him that a couple of rough-looking men were asking to speak to him, and advised him not to see them. He, however, was determined to do so, and directed that they should be shown in. A few moments after two rough and somewhat sin-ister-looking 'men walked into the apartment and stood before the Judge.

"'Well?' queried the latter. v " ' P'raps yer don't recognise us, governor, eh ?' said one of the men. " ' No, I don't/ .. agreed the Judge. " ' Well, some years ago/ went on the man, ' you sentenced us to five years' penal servitude for bashing a gamekeeper!' <((oh!' was the Judge's monosyl-

lahic utterance, and he began to feel uneasy. "'Well,' proceeded the ex-convict, ' while we've been away we've found out as how you've been good to our wives and have kep' our 'omes a-goin'. An' it's fur that kindness we've come 'ere to-night to thank- yer!' "