THE TENDER = HEARTED CRIMINAL. Why Hurt the Poor Fellow?

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 131, 3 January 1903, Page 8

THE TENDER = HEARTED CRIMINAL. Why Hurt the Poor Fellow?

ALARM is nlv, ays felt in a community, happily free from a large pioportion of criminals, when some violent man of debased nature gives way to his brute instincts, amd uses Ins strength to injure women and children. Even these unspeakable ruffians have their champions in the ultrahumane, and at the present tame, even though a si ght recrudescence' of unnameable offences have taken place in tlie colonies, there are to be found people v-ho ai-e telling the world that flogging (the only deterrent) is cruel, humiliating, and degrading to brutes who could sink no lower. * * • Auckland was shocked a few weeks since by the action of two such evildoers. One man persistently and brutally assaulted a woman, and ultimately wounded her with a revolver. Would (Continued on page 16.)

it degrade such a man to treat him with even, a tithe of thei punishment lie served out to a weak woman? Beang degraded, a flogging to such a one w ould probably deter others of his calibre from running the risk of a lacerated back Then, that other case following shortly after, in -which the culprit struck his victim brutally in the face, lacerating it, and knocking her teeth out. Would it do such a one any good, think you, to wrestle with him in prayer, or give him tracts to read? * ♦ * Australia is, happily for itself, using tine "cat" with greater frequency than ever before. It is having its effect. Quite recently, a man who had brutally assaulted an aged person was sentenced to be flogged. On hisi knees he protested that he was delicate, and could not stand the. lash. The victim, who was aged and infirm, was forced to stand a punishment in. excess of any the law would inflict on the man brute. The sally sentimentality exhibited by persons of weak fibre over the sufferings of criminals of this class oftem stirs up public feeling in favour of criminals. * * It is possible to award the supreme punishment of death m New South Wales for crimes of the class indicated, and nothing but the fear of death, .or laceration has, or eveo* will have, any effect on persons whose instincts are lower than those of brute beasts. While coddling criminals! by expressing a sentimental hope that for unspeakable offences they may not be flogged, have you ever for a moment imagined your mother, your sister, or your wife the victim of the ruffian you would merely feed up in goal, ready for another oampa.ign of license? * * * The nature of a man capable of such, crimes will not be changed by imprisonment for a term of years. Appeal to his physical feelings, and you deter him effectually from incurring a repetition of the punishment. With, the growth o f civilisation, and the lack of necessity for every man to defend himself with arms, the feelings are apt to become softened. It wants but am affair of the kind indicated within the family circle of a man to stir up his feelings to the necessity of the case, and to induce judges, who ha,ve the power, to reward offenders of this sort with the severest flagellations. * ♦ ♦ Do you notice that crimes of that sort run in cycles.? Evemi a debased criminal has his sla,vish imitators, and it is a well-known fact that the man who gives most trouble in gaol is always a "gaol hero." There would be less inclination on the part of emulators of men beasts to follow in a "hero's" footstepsi if the "hero" was dealt with more severely than he dealt with his victim. You cannot kill such crimes with kindness, but you can lessen, them with the lash, and, in this connect on, a leaf out of Australia's book is worth copying by New Zealand.

Mr. George Hawthorn, the Karori Olub rifle shot, who won three "firsts" on the first day of the Defence Bine Clubs' Association meeting, at Trentham, the other day, is a Wellington boy, and a young shot, who, like his brother, the runner-up for the New ZieaJland championship, is likely to be heard of increasingly. George is an employee in the New Zealand Government railways, and, although less cool than his "shooting" brother, is still a -very hard man to beat when he gets his eye in. As thie rifle clubs contain the best shots in the colony, most of the enthusiasts leaving the volunteer service when they tire of cramping regulations tho winning of the aggregate prize and gold medal is a feat to be proud of. » * * Maybe, in a choice of the two brothers for the next Bisley team, the keeneyed George would stand an equal chance with his clever brother Harry. The father of the "shooting" Hawthorns was one of the early settlers on the Thames, and was engage! in building in tlhe then budding cty that is now in. the sere and yellow leaf. Another Hawthorn boy is the well-known partner in the firm of Hawthorn and Crump, the Wellington builders, but the latter, who is

now taking a rest in Kurope, has ever been too busy to go in for the art in w'hioh his two younger brothers excel. * • «■ Tired Tauranga It seems that a gale came along, and lifted several acres of corrugated roof off in the beauteous little Bay of Plenty town the other day. Nobod\ is picking up the corrugated iron,, and the local papers say that if the Coonty Council does not. do something they will be sued for damages to skin knocked off by the obstructions. One gentleman foil' over a sheet and sprained hife ankle. If I, says a friend, had struck a sheet of corrugated iron. I would have looked for more windfalls 1 , and made ai fowl-house of them in reivenge. Wangatnui 13 a surprising place It is a/Ueged that a> person, who answered to the name of "drunk," regaled the court the other day wiith a selection of improvised "poetry." In the selection was a gem. calling down the blessings from above on the magistrate. There is no record that the gentleman was treated to six months for contempt. Poetical prisoners v/ould lighten t(he leadly dullness cf Jay Peeism.