AIDS TO CRIME.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11125, 14 November 1907, Page 2

AIDS TO CRIME.

JUDGE DENNISTON ON PUBLIC MORALTY. In dealing with three youths who had pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and stealing ammunition, and who had gone busbranging at Dargaville, Mr Justice Denniston, at Auckland, said he had a very strong objection to posing as a moralist, but he must say that -he certainly thought some comment should be made upon the practice of carrying round spectacular representations of all the ruf . fians m the colonies — spectacular representations m which crimes were presented before boys as heroic deeds, but m which jn the end the , desperadoes wero shot and justice' was vindicated. Then 1 again, there was "Robbery Under Arms," which, was presented m exactly the same form. "I repeat," continued bis Honor, "that I do not like posing as a moralist, delivering lectures 'from the bench, but I think that m the interests pf public morality something should be done to prohibit exhibitions of the sort. I have no doubt m my mind that theso boys would . not be here to-day but for these exhibitions. I have no 'hesitation m. expressing my opinion. 1 cannot help thinking that m dealing with these lads I really ought to take into consideration that • public facilities are given, and not forbidden, .for presenting crime m this way before them. Much mischief is no doubt by books, but they require reading and a certain amount of trouble to get at, but here, with these spectacular exhibitions, the whole thing is presented m a convenient and alluring' way. I have only just had another illustration before me to satisfy me that these exhibitions are directly alluring boys and young men to_ crime, and I shall take this into consideration m dealing with these cases."