UNDESIRABLE CHARACTERS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12506, 6 April 1909, Page 2

UNDESIRABLE CHARACTERS.

UNLAWFULLY ON RAILWAY : .- PREMISES. t cv Th T r 1 c m r e AT n , a , mcd Thomas Connolly, John McNabb,.and Henry Hollandalias Simpson, were brought before Mi H. Eyre-Kenny, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning on a charge of having been found by night, -without lawful excuse, in the yard of-the railway station. ' aJf w 6p i y \° th - e -, McNabb and Holland said they would be tried by a jury, and were ordered to stand down. Connolly elected to "be dealt with summarily, and pleaded guilty. ; bergt Dougan stated that accused were, tound in a railway carriage at lA3O a.m.. on Sunday, with, the two other accused, who were notoriously bad characters. They hud been knocking about together for the last tew days and sleeping out at night, lhere was nothing known about the accused. The; Magistrate said that accused was liable to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour. It was absolutely necessary that the practice oi sleeping- in railway carriages should be put a stop to. Burglaries at railway stations were of frequent occurrence, and if persons were found about the premises at night it could only be supposed that they they were there, for no good. Accused would be sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour . McNabb and Holland then express?L a ish *° b e dealt with summarily e-1 u^ffc° * iUTy> aud "' both P lead " Sergt Dougan put in MeNabb's record, which showed that he had been convicted of vagrancy, drunkenness, assault and robbery, theft, consorting bSS.^ 1 -*■ last conviction Accused said he had been- working up the hue, and came to town last Monday. He had been knocking" about and had been turned out of his hotel. He pleaded for another Chance. Accused was' sentenced to three. months' imprisonment. : The charge against Holland was then proceeded with. Accused's record showed that there* were fourteen previous convictions against him for vagrancy, larceny, consorting with thieves., etc. . Accused said be came to town last Monday, and as the races were on the publican could not accommodate him any longer and he had to go on the streets. He contended that he had a lawful excuse for being in the railway carriage as he had a return ticket to the country. He said he was trying to reform and pleaded for another chance. - - TheJVlagistrate repeated that it was a dangerous practice, especially with a man of accused's character, as there "was' always the possibility that he might be there for the purposes of crime. Accused would be sentenced to three, months' imurlsonment with hard labour.