WOMAN GIVEN A CHANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMAN GIVEN A CHANCE

PROBATION AT SEVENTY-SEVEN OVER 23 YEARS IN PRISON A woman of 77, who had spent. 23 years of her life in prisons, receneci sympathy and a chance at Marylebone Police Court in London last month, when accused of shoplifting. " This poor woman is an old-age pensioner," said Mr. H. C. A. Bingley, the magistrate. " She has had 11 children, all of whom aro dead. Twentythree years and seven, of her life she has spent in prison. It js awful to think of. So far she has never had tho advantage of tho Probation of Offenders' 'Act, so I am going to take the risk and grant it to her to-day. The woman was Hannah Wilson, a widow, living at Hoxton, accused of stealing articles worth £2l from a shop. It was stated that when she was caught she woro a skirt which was so cut inside that it formed a large "bag. Mr. Bingley referring to tho woman's list of convictions, said that she had had some awful sentences — five years' penal servitude." at Edinburgh, three years at the Central Criminal Court and three years at Yarmouth —but there was no conviction against her sinco 1D22. "That is so," said Detective Keen, " but no doubt she has been a persistent shoplifter in her day and one of tho old type." Mr. Bingley: " A type that I do not got nowadays. All the shoplifters to-day have wonderfully good characters." Miss Gladwin, tho court missionary, said she was prepared to take Wilson under her oare. " Well, that is very kind," said Mr. Bingley. " While there's life there's hope."