PUNISHMENT OF PRISONERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6567, 4 December 1882, Page 6

PUNISHMENT OF PRISONERS.

. [BY TELEGHAriI. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] i Wellington, Saturday. 3 With reference to the return of prisoners' ' r punishments, which is exciting so much in--1 terest, I may add to what I have already 3 quoted another glaring instance of what I s may call eccentricity. One man was comi mitterl for one month for larceny, and re , ceived successive sentences from visiting r justices of . 1, 14 days; 2, 14 days ; 3, 10 ; days ; 4, 7 clays ; 5, 7 days ; 6, 14 days ;7, i one month ; 8, 6 weeks; 9, one month ; 10, 5 one month, or nearly seven months altot gether, all for "idleness." His original 1 sentence expired on the 2Gth March, but he 3 actually died in gaol on the 30th August, - five months after he should have been rei leased, and even then more than a month of his added sentences had yet to expire, the various Visiting Justices who sentenced him were J. T. Johnson, twice; J. Logan, four times ; A. C. Strode, five times; Captain Fraser and E. B. Cargill. each once. Another was sent up for fourteen ! days for vagrancy, and was not released till . eight months aud thirteen days after the expiration of the original sentence of a fortnight. His offences comprised idleness, insubordination, and improper language. Another, in for six months for larceny, was detained in gaol fifteen months and sixteen days, or nine months sixteen days beyond the sentence. Another, sentenced to six months for larceny, was detained two years all but five days, or seventeen months and twenty-eight days beyond the expiration of the original sentence. All these wero for mere "prison offences." All occurred in Dunedin Gaol. There is nothing in the remotest degree approaching this in the other gaols in the colony.