A SOLDIER CONVICT'S PATHETIC STORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 30

A SOLDIER CONVICT'S PATHETIC STORY.

A man named' George Lane, 45 years of age, pleacjed guilty ab the Clerkenwell sessions the other day to stealing & purse, containing" £1 6s 2£d, from a lady named Charlotte Brown, while travelling on the North London railway. From the record produced by.S-rgcant West ifc seem* that <he-prisoneir4ias Undergone siveral terms of imprisonment and penal servitude since the year 1866 • Tn 1869 Lane was sentenced'toft ye years, in 1875 to seven yeara, and in 1894 * to four years and-a-ha'f penal servitude.^From the- fatter term he was now dn ticket-of-leave. and would have to serve about one year And 47 days. ■ ; Th« prisoner Sold a pabhotic story. ' After hfs second term of penal servitude he. 'iv fcjie year 1884, enlisted in the Gordon HighUodrrf. Ha fought through the Nile Expedition, 1884-85, and received a medal and clisp. When the reg'ment returned to Malta ho was seized with fever, and afterwards a sergeant denounced him as- a returned convict;, and he wa,s crurfcmarfcialled and sentenced fco 56 days' injpt>isonmont. This was afterwards remitted. He was discharged in August, 1888, because of debility, resulting from climate. Years before be had joined- the old 105 th Regiment ; but the saiqe sergeant who recognised him At Malta told his true ' Character 'to the military authorities at Fontefracb, an' 3he was discharged in consequent. "IfX.had been left, alone," pleaded Lane,.." I should now be up in the front, fighting in India, instead of standing here ia the dock*" and tears came to his eyes.

The police constable said the man's statement was correct, and added that he was discharged with a good character and a pension of 6d a day for 12 months. Mr M'Connell (chairman of the sessions) said he was extremely sorry to see a rann of the prisoner's age and service in the dock. He should buy- a broom and sweep a crossing — (the Prisoner: y I will, my Lord"),— or there were many charitable persons wfib would assist if informed of the circumstances. As regards the ticket-of- leave, the chairmau had no power — that was in the hands of the Home Secretary-, — but he only passed upon him now a sentence- of three mouths' imprisonment. Lane : Ob, lhank you, my Lord !

— Guest : " What a splendid dinner I I don't often get as good a meal as this." Little Willie (son of the host) : "We don't, either." — Auntie's Escort (EeDf *nt Terrible) : " And dieLthey go into the ark two by two 2 " Mamma : " Yes, dearest." Enfant Terrible : " Well, who went with auntie ? " — " These worries will turn my hair grey," said the damsel with the tomatocoloured ringlets. " That will* be fortunate for you," said her dearest friend. — A now very eminent artist used, in his earlier days, to dress in so Bohemian a fashion that it might almost be called di«1 reputable. His first big chance in life came when Lord C- — invited him down to hia country mansion to paint & view of the house. When be arrived at the house the door was opened to him by the butler, "I am Mr ," said the artist. " I've come dowa to paint the house." The bntler surveyed the visitor's shabby clothes anil, meditated. " That's funny," he said at length. " His lordship ain't said anythink to me about haying the bouse done hue"