PROTECTING THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13756, 22 May 1908, Page 5

PROTECTING THE CHILDREN.

|p,|--V.V: ■■' ■*■ : %ifiW>? ■:'', ' ■ . ■ ' • ■■■ ' •' ' ANOTHER HEAVY SENTENCE. ;•.' ' .REGENERATE RECEIVES TWELVE YEARS. !/ Thomas Cuarlks Bridsov, who pleaded „,,ilty on Wednesday to four charges of indecently assaulting little children, \va« ; ' , brought up for sentence before Mr. Jus- / '' tice Edwards, at the Supreme Court yes--0-:" ■ terday. . M .1. 11. Reed, appearing on the miW n« ; « behalf, called Dr. Lindsay, who stated that in his opinion Brid«on was mentally degenerate, and was, from a irwdi- ■" cal point of view, irresponsible. He did not however, consider that lie was incurably irresponsible. 4" Hi* Honor: Do yon consider that hi* h,■ bodily condition is s.nch thai it would !:■ not justify Hogging' ii Dr. Lindsay:, Yes. £'".' ' His Honor, addressing the prisoner, said ! . that in view of the medical evidence given .' he* did not feel justified in his case in ;.' ' ordering him to be flogged. " Neverthe- &•■ less," pursued His Honor. "1 must ha- ':;' ' pese a sentence which will strike terror into the hearts of evildoers of your class, whose numbers appear to be ho nnfortu- ; '; •' irately increasing in this city. You have been convicted, on your own confession, of indecently assaulting four little children, three of them on the- same day. Although this is your first conviction, 1 ran scarcely suppose it to be true that it is your first r . , offence, in view of the circumstances of '!'.'/ the present crimes. Your case, nevertheless, differs very materially from 'the offender of a similar class whom 1 sentenc- *-' ' ed yesterday,, inasmuch as in his case he >'■ had already undergone, two severe senfences for the same offence. 1 shall take into consideration the fact that this is ',' :: ' your first conviction, and the cumulative !■•',; 'sentences which 1 intend to impose on you will be severe. It may be that if ',- you can mend your life and you satisfy ! the authorities that you have returned to a, sane life, and are tit to be at large, it may be that those upon whom the responsibility lies may admit you to liberty before" tlw expiration of your sentence. ■ ; v That must be your hope, and it is to be . sincerely hoped that you will raise yourself upon that hope." Prisoner was then sentenced to three ; : years' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative.