AN APPEAL FOR MERCY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12686, 13 February 1912, Page 2

AN APPEAL FOR MERCY.

■ ' '•• >» — — — (Special to the Herald.) , CHRISTCHURCH, this day. At the Supreme Court yesterday, Margaret Bourke, who had pleaded guilty m the lower Court to concealment of binth, came up for sentence. Prisoner appeared to feel her position acutely, and had her head under the shade of a big black hat during her stay m the dock. Mr Donnelly, who appeared for her, said she was 22 years of age. She had been •unfortunate- enough when she was young to lose ' both her parents, and for the last six years shfe had gone out to work as a domestic servant. -', Her character as far as was known had been hitherto good. She had saved a. little money, and was going to Wellington for her confinement, but was unexpectedly taken ill, -and her money being absorbed $ r He kept on putting off hei* trip until iti was too late. The. man who had been, the cause of the trouble had immediately left^her, but another man, a respectable -member of society, was prepared to come into Court, and inform his Honor that ihe was prepared, to marry the girl. His Honor: Has the girl been out on bail? Mr Donnelly : Yes. i His Honor: What's the use of saying he is prepared to marry her? Mr Donnelly, m reply, said the marriage had not alreadyJ taken place^ owing ito his advising the parties that it would be better to wait, till his Honor disposed of the case. He asked that the girl be admittejfl..^ probation. . . ... . His-'Htmor said that Mr Donnelly 'had probably read his remarks o nthe subject at the last criminal sittings. The Act had been passed, not -for the punishment of the individual, but^r' the protection of children. >. If he^ade'th^e law a dead letter it would be a very serious matter. .. ... - Mr Donnelly said that "he. considered that every case should stand on its own merits. • ....■■' His' Honor held a. contrary view. Theie was. he said," no criminal intent m the majority of these cases, but a . .natural impulse. ■<- -■■- ■*■..-' ■*.'■**■■ ., t ".; Mr Donnelly said that the girl ha|J already .suffered her punishiihent. Probably iwf man. was, capable of undet-. standing the punishment a young woman went through m eases like these. | -His Honor stated that the difficulty was the obvious temptation to a mother m; circumstances like these when she -_w4s alone. What was 1 ' to prevent her deritroyjng her offspring? The only securit^ against this was what he had" mentioned. It was no use his formulating rules OSI the^ subject, " and o .then m each case not acting up to them. j ' Mr Donnelly held that .if the girl waee admitted to probation it would give her a chance to go 'straight m tne future, t His Honor* : It is not ,a case for probation. If it We're a . case ofthe'*punii"t|meht of ( the individual T would have ito hesitation at all m -the matter, but a«; it is, T have laid down' 'Very clear 'aired proper 'rules m regard to .these case^, and I will order her to come up for ■ sejti-: tJence -when called! upon, and' your frierid, m the background, Mr Donnelly, Md better act' up 'to his word. « : • Mr Donnelly: There is not the slight-'' est danger of his not doing so. > His Honor Rai(i /that 'he [ "would bring . the matter of these offences before tHe. notice of his. .-brother Judges: ..irt'^ellinft-' ton next month, and perhaps .they woi-$d come. -to some definite concliisiqn on -ihe^.' In England for many years the sentence hadb^n, eigh^e^^oj a ths\;li^ > isonmenit.; : mmmmammmmmmmmmmwm ' •• " - -,-V