SENTENCES PASSED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8783, 13 July 1914, Page 5

SENTENCES PASSED

FOUR OFFENDERS DEALT W’ITH. On Saturday morning His Honour the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) dealt with four prisoners committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. THEFT FROM A DWELLING. The offence which was responsible for the appearance of Daniel Patrick Cummins, aged twentyfour years, was theft - from a dwelling. The prisoner had four previous convictions against him for theft. Ho informed the court that he was under the influence of drink when he committed the crime. “What right hare you to get drunk?” responded His Honour. “You had only,' apparently, just come out of gaol that morning, and the first thing - you did was to go and ■ get drunk.” His Honour pointed out that Cummins had rendered Himself liable to an indeterminate sentence. The penalty was eighteen months’ reformative treatment in the Invercargill prison. A STOLEN MONEY-ORDER. A lad named Roland Nelscn, aged nineteen, appeared for sentence for theft from a postal packet. Mr T. M. W 7 itford stated that he had been asked by Mr Edwin Arnold (visiting justice at Wellington gaol) to appear for the prisoner, who had no one to look after him. In giving evidence, Mr Arnold stated that ho had seen Nelson in prison, when the lad said ho was a Canadian, tbut had (resided in Germany after leaving his own country. Mr-Arnold added that he thought the case was one for the Prisoners’ Aid Society. If His Honour could see his .way to give Nelson another chance', the society would look after him and send him back to Germany or Canada. Mr Wilford stated that the moneyorder which the boy had stolen had been refunded by his brother. His Honour ordered/ tho accused to come up |or sentence when called uponANOTHER YOUTHFUL OFFENDER. Breach of his probation order was the charge against Christopher James White, a youth of 1 sixteen. His Honour stated that the accused had committed a breach of the probation order within a month of being convicted of theft. Mr H. H. Ostler, Crown Solicitor, mentioned that White’s "parents were separated. His Honour said the lad’s parents should look after him. He would be remanded for a week in order that they might he communicated with. MARRIED ON £7O A YEAR. Unfortunate circumstances were revealed ,in the case of Jack James Hyams, aged twenty-three, convicted of forgery and uttering. In making a plea for leniency, Mr Wilford stated that the accused' had got himself into serious trouble, principally through his lack of a sense of proportion. When he married he was only receiving £7O a year. He was paying 25s a week .for rent, which meant, roughly, £65 a j*->ar out of his salary. The marriage was a happy one, but tradesmen’s bills accumulated and the rent got into arrears. The accused forged, a cheque, and uttered it to the Grand Hotel, but he was now sincerely contrite and realised his mistake. If His Honour would give him another chance he would make a fresh start in a new country, where he had friends who would look after him. His Honour, after remarking that the probation officer’s report was fairly satisfactory, ordered accused to oome up for sentence when called upon.