YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 301, 13 May 1913, Page 5

YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

A BAD RECORD FOR BURNHAM. A TRARAXAKI CASE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Chief Justice had something to say regarding the system of working the Burnham Industrial School when sentencing a prisoner at the Supreme Court to-day. The accused w,i<> a halt-caste Maori, named William Duncan, who had pleaded guilty to charges of theft at Wai.tara, and forgery, breaking and entering at Eltham. The prisoner is only 21 years old, but had been in Court before, having been sentenced to two years' imprisonment on a charge of carnal knowledge in 1008, and later to three months' imprisonment for theft. On the theft charges His Honor sentenced prisoner to two years' imprisonment. For breaking and entering lie imposed a term of twelve months' hard labor, and for forgery one years' imprisonment. The ' terms were made concurrent, and the prisoner was declared to be an habitual criminal. "It is a sad tiling to see such a number of Burnham boys coming before me," observed His Honor. "I don't understand how it is, but I suppose it is because such a number of bad boys go to the school." Whether some other means of attempting to reform such boys—something like the George Junior Republic in America—should be adopted, he did not know. The prisoner was only 21 yearn old, but had embarked on a career of crime. "Burnham doesn't seem to have done you any good," said His Honor. "If ever you want your liberty you will have to reform. There is no outlook for you except that you behave yourself." filyn Tvor Hazel, for breaking, enteringand theft from jewellers' shops at Levin and Masterton, was sentenced to four years' reformative treatment.

Thomas Darroch, for receiving goods from Hazel, was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. James Miles, an old man, for carnar knowledge of an imbecile girl, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.