A COMPLACENT THIEF.

Otago Witness, 1 June 1910, Page 11

A COMPLACENT THIEF.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, May 24. An original kind of character turned up in the deck at the Auckland Supreme Court to-day in the person of an old man, Thos. Sheehan, with a- number of aliases. The charge was the theft of a document (an account) and 12s in money from the dwelling of Rebecca West, at Pukebohe, cm February 26. When the charge was read out, and accused was asked to register his plea, he broke into fluent speech, saying, " I plead guilty to any mortal thing you like to bring against me. If you brought a charge of murder against me I would plead guilty, your Honor. I can't be worse than I am, and I request your Honor to sentence me as soon as possible to get me away from the eyes of the public." His Honor : Pi*isoner, do you know what you are charged with? I don't care what I am charged with. His Honor: I want to know if you understand the charges? No, I don't. His Honor repeated the indictment, and asked the prisoner how he pleaded. "I am pleading guilty tb everything/' promptly replied the accused. His Honor: I don't accept that pV;a. You are only asked to plead in respect to the charge of stealing a document. Prisoner: I plead guilty. When others received months I received years. I have never received mercy, and never got a short f-entence. I can't expect a short sentence from you. His Honor: No, you can't. Prisoner was again asked how he pleaded in regard to the theft of a document. "I would like to know, your Honor, what the document is?" remarked the accused. His Honor: Do you know what you are charged with? Prisoner : The fact of the matter is I do not. His Honor refused to accept the plea. The evidence tendered showed that the prisoner entered a bedroom at the boarding house about 4 o'clock in the morning, and was caught in the act of going through the pockets of a boarder named' Mic'(dleton. Prisoner made off when seen, and was captured by Jas. M'Ewan in an outhouse, with the stolen document and money in his possession. Tt* nrisoner raised no defence.

The jury returned a verdict of : ' Guilty," without retiring. Mr Tole stated that prisoner had a long list of previous convictions, starting 43 years ago and coming up to 1909. He had started on his criminal career at the age of 20, and had kept at it ever since. His Honor read over a-few of the previous sentences of three, five, and ten years, and asked prisoner if he admitted the entries to be correct.

" I expect so, your Honor," he replied cheerfully. " I forget. Anything you read out to me I will say is right." Prisoner was setenced to 12 months' imprisonment, and declared an habitual criminal.