A NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 921, 24 July 1869, Page 17

A NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL.

To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Sib — If you allow me, I will place before the public what I consider is but an act of justice to the efficiency and well known vigilance of the Police Force of Otago. George Boberts alias George Smethurst, a notorious criminal, was arrested in Rattray street, in this town, in company with a most dangeroub thief named Cameron, in 1862, on a charge of attempting to commit burglary. On their being searched a large number of skeleton keys was found in their possession, for which they were eaoh sentenced, to six months' hard labour. Subsequently they were several times in gaol for various offences committed in this province. Men of this kind belong to the olass of thieves to which His Honour Mr Justice Richmond alluded in his charge to the Grand Jury at the late Sessions of the Supreme Court, at Nelson. I understand that Cameron and Roberts alias Smethurst, are well known to Mr Caldwell, Governor of the Gaol, as the most skilful and dangerous thieves. The enclosed account of tho career of Roberts is taken from the London Daily News of April 3rd.— l am, &o , JAJiis Sanderson.

Stuart street, July 10th.

George Roberts is one of the martyrs of crime. At sixty-five years of ago he has stood up for the third time to hear a sentence of penal servitude for life. The first time was in 1837, when he was sent to Hobart Town, worked his way to be one of the crew of Sir John Franklin's jolly-boat, and afterwards escaped. In 1842, he was again transported for life, but soon get a ticket of leave, joined the Hobart Town Police, saved LSO out of his wages, went to America, and on the first night of his arrival fell among thieves, who loft him penniless. In 1851 he was again in England, whither he hod worked his way from America via Franco, and again incurred transportation for fourteen years. Once more he earned his ticket-of -leave ; and hearing that his mother had died leaving a little property, came book to England, and last February was found lurking in an area in Southwark. Being sent to prison for three months, his story came out, and on Monday he was again sentenced to penal servitude for life for boing, as a convict, unlawfully at large. Yet George Boberts is not so hardened as to care nothing for punishment His bitter experience has told upon him, and his wholesome dread of his fate is all that juitioo oan with. A miserable and broken down old man— his appeal to the Recorder was one of tho meat pathetio in the annals of the Court :— 4< My Lord, have oompassion on an old man. Don't send mo again to those penal colonies. Don't send me where I shall be niggered, flogged, and brutally ill-treated. Many a day out there havo I thought of committing some horrid murder in order that I might be hanged, and so e«oap» from tho tyranti who almost persecuted mo to death. Oh ! don't send me now. in my old days, to those dreadful places. " Yet, with the horror of this oxperionoo to warn him, he oomes baok to his old haunts, and again and again incurs tho penalty from whioh he had eaoaped. Uo*s somo terrible nooeuity, some utUr incapacity to earn ah honest living, oompel such mon to return to old scenes and old orimos ? Is there some parallel between tho habitual criminal and tho habitual drunkard, to that crime bo* oomes an omnipotent passion whioh must indulge iUolf, at whatever rak of seen and dreaded oonsequ«noei?

One of tho looal papors atatc* that Mr 0. E. Haughton ha« iobw intention of tattling »{ tho XiumM, ■ ' ' '