Dramatic Plea to Judge

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7239, 19 August 1933, Page 10

Dramatic Plea to Judge

LONG RECORD OF CRIME With tears in his eyes and hands outstretched toward tho judge, a greybearded man with a long record of crime poured forth his woes at ExetcrAssizcs recently. The man was Arthur Mead, aged 61, labouer, who pleaded guilty to two charges of house-breaking at Axminstcr. He had 45 previous convictions recorded against him. “I havo travelled from ono casual ward to another,” Mead said to Mr. Justico Goddard. ‘‘The first thing the police do when I get into trouble is to dug up my past history, things done years ago for which I have suffered over and over again. I havo had over 40 convictions, and havo never once been defended by counsel or nna anyone to give evidence on my bcfalf. I have always been friendless and have gone to prison. ‘‘My first conviction was at the age of 11, when I ran away from a workhouse and was charged with ausconding and stealing the cloths I was wearing. I was picking oakum in Pentonville prison at 11 years of ago and they sent me back to the reformatory. But what did I want reforming for at that age? There I was a slave until I was 16, when I was discharged with half a crown in my pocket and given a Bible and prayer book. I was sent to London with no home and nowhere to go‘‘Tho consequenco is that I have been in trouble time after, time and 1 got three years’ penal servitude for I was unemployed. Afterward J. went to America and remained until tho

war broke out, and I have been in trouble over since. “I wish I had never come back. There is nothing for me now. I am down at heel and havo been kicked down to that state. Yet the world was not made for a few, but for everybody”. The judge remarked that most of Mead’s offences were small, but his record was very bad. He passed a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment with hard labour.