A PAINFUL SCENE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 273, 22 October 1883, Page 2

A PAINFUL SCENE.

.... • » A painful. scene took place at the Quarter Sessions m ..Sydney recently. A very young looking married woman was convicted of obtaining 2s by false pretence?, i As there was no, previous record against her, the Judge, m passing, sentence,, jaid that he would pa^s upon her the lowest sehtohceTwhiCh 'the law allowed. Under one section of the. Act the lowest sentence he could pass was five years' penal servitude. " How much ?" exclaimed the prisoner, eti-. dently thinking that, the terms mantionod by the Judge was the term of her, sentence. v five years' . penal servK tude," replied his Honour. The prisoner threw her clasped hands over her head, cried, "Oh, my God!" and fell senseless on tbb floor. With great difficulty and delay she was restored to partial consciousness, aud the Judge then proceeded ito .jisay/ that at the time he was -interrupted by the prisoner he was about , to mention that, under another- section he had discretion to alter* a five years? sentence of penal servitude to one year's hard labour. That was the lowest sentence which the- law allowed him to pass for. this offence, but as he was ot opinion that the charge might haye been, brought under the j Vagrant Act, which would . have admitted of a light punishment being inflicted, he would promise that if she conducted herself ' wpll, aud pc« titioned the Executive atthe end of three- , months for a remission of the. sentence^ he would support that petition. We, are informed' that the reason) the base' came before a jury was .-that the prisoner" declined tr be tried :.byl a.. magistrate, and elected to be tried by a, Wj7 •":—-. '-• j "j