"A FREAK ADVENTURE"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19328, 15 May 1926, Page 14

"A FREAK ADVENTURE"

ABDUCTION OF A GIRL. YOUTH'S CHANCE TO REFORM. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI. Friday. In the Supreme Court Clarence Amos Woods, aged 20, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Alpers to two years' reformative treatment on a charge of the abduction of a young girl aged 11 years at Taihape. In traversing accused's career His Honor pointed out that he had commenced to go wrong af. the age of 14, and had been in and out of prison at intervals since that age. "It, is a strange thing you did, to tak> away the young girl," remarked His Honor, who added that the girl appeared to have been determined to "bolt" from her people, and the accused assisted her. The pair of them drifted around th • country like scallywags, and were eventually found sleeping out. Both the accused and the girl had said, and His Honor believed them, that the accused had not taken advantage of the girl in any way. The whole thing was a freak adventur and apparently the accused did not do his, companion any harm. However, he ccn.ld not overlook the fact that the girl was abducted, not with a few clothes and n handbag, but with a £5 cheque that did not belong to her. There was an element of honesty in the adventure, said His Honor, and he wished something coulu be done with a youth of Woods' age It was a great pity he had embarked on a career of crime. His Hono- said he would not send the youth to the ordinary prison with hard 'labour, but would give him a further chance to redeem himself. There was still a chance. Accused was sentenced to two years' reformative, detention.