VOTED FOR HIS FATHER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17040, 23 December 1918, Page 7

VOTED FOR HIS FATHER.

BY-ELECTION AFTERMATH.

A young man named. Thomas James Belsham, 21 years of age, who pleaded guilty in the Wellington Magistrate's Court to personation, in that ho voted ia the name of his father at the Wellington Central election, came up for sentence in the Supreme Court subsequently. Hia Honor the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, was on the bench, and the prisoner was represented by Mr. H. F. oL;ary. Belsham spent 265 days on active service in France, where he was wounded, and practically crippled for life. Mr. O'Leary stated that on the day of the election the mother of the lad was very ill and unable to record her vote, and she sent her son to see if he could vote for her. At the booth he was told that he could not so vote, and apparently lie got an inspiration to get a vote in some way, and so voted in the name of his father. The offence was only a single one, and was not intended to influence the election; it was unpremeditated, for he went' to the booth in quite an open way to see if he could vote for his mother. He asked His Honor to take into consideration the previous good character of the prisoner and his service to the Empire, and grant him probation. Very strict inquiries had been made by the police, and it was ascertained that although Belsham had had some drink on the day of the election he waa not eiven to drinking. His Honor said he did not intend to send the prisoner to gaol, but remarked that he had apparently taken liquor on the day of Lie election. He hoped the lad was not one of those weak persons who could not live without liquor. His Honor fined the prisoner £5 and allowed him one month in which to find the money.