TAKING THEIR GRUEL

NZ Truth, Issue 701, 23 November 1918, Page 6

TAKING THEIR GRUEL

' Six Sinners Sentenced Wellington Supreme Court Criminal Sessions. His Honor passed sentence on six prisoners at the Wellington Supreme. Court on Friday morning last week. AH had been convicted by the Jury and remanded for consideration. BLAKE'S BAp BREAK. The first to face the music was George Edward Blake, one-time auctioneer and furniture dealer, and more latterly bankrupt. Blake was accused of failing to account for moneys received by him as the proceeds of sales of goods Entrusted to him to dispose of. The fraud covered no fewer than thirty- eight transactions and embodied Over £70 in money. Mr. JaOkson urged that Blake was a widower with six children to maintain. . ■ His Honor: I can't 'help It. 1 cannot make a sliding scale of punishment in accordance with the size of a man's family. Mr. Jackson urged that Blake's offences y^ere due more to stupidity than to fraud and were largely owing to his bankruptcy. Accused was convicted and sentenced to four months' hard labor. EARLY AND OFTEN. James Raglan appeared on a charge of having attempted personation and double voting at the recent Wellington Central election. Mr. H. F. O'Leary said that the accused had previously a good character. He had been drinking at the time and could not have possibly secured any pecuniary gain from his action. The Crown Prosecutor admitted accused's good character an<_ said that all his discharges from the boats he had served on were excellent. His Honor said that he would, take this into consideration. Accused would be convicted and sentenced on the first two counts to six months' imprisonment with hard labor. The third count, as to whether the application for a second voting paper that was refused was &n offence, would be reserved for the Court of Appeal. PUNCTURED PROBATION. Oswald Harris, who luud broken the terms of a previous probation order and attempted ft serious offence against a girl, was the next to hold Ms platter out. His Honor said accused had conducted himself in a very seTious manner. He would be sentenced to four years' reformative treatment in Invercargill gaol, and his sentence could be reviewed by the Prisons Board should he remain of good behavior. CARDEW'S CRIME. William Henry Cardew, a veteran of 63 years of age, next answered a conviction of having indecently assaulted a male, of fifteen years of age. Mr. Jackson appeared for the accused and said that the evidence showed that the boy, who was a precocious lad, had largely taken the initiative 1n the offence. He asked that this b& taken Into consideration. His Honor said that accused had been guilty of a heastly and disgraceful offence. He was a menace to the community and must be put out of the way. He v/ould be sentenced to five years' imprisonment -with hard labor. LIFTING. LINGERIE. William Prince and Joseph Koyes bowed down to the Baal of justice to get scorched for having been concerned in the plnohing of a lady's suit-case at Featherston, in connection with the main criminal, one Williams, who is at present doing time on the same offence. The two accused had helped in the removal of the lady's "pretties," and assisted in attempting to dispose of them. Keyes had a previous record, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labor, and Prince, whose sheet was clean, was admitted to two years' probation.