AMY BOCK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 5823, 29 May 1909, Page 4

AMY BOCK.

AN HABITUAL CRIMINAL. DUNEDIN, May 27. Amy Bock, whoso arrest 'led to sensational developments last month, come before the 'Supreme .Court today for sentence on charges of forgery and uttering, two charges of false pretences, and a charge of making a false statement under "The Marriage Act, 190^." At the outset Mr Moore, who appeared for the accused, said be wished to draw attention to a statement pol\- ( lishedin many papors-in the dominion in) regard to accused, which should not have been published until after she was found guilty. His Honor said lie had bot read any of the publications complained of. if Mr Moore thought the papers had committed contempt of Court Jne could take proceedings against them.. His Honor added that he could not recall anything iu particular of the nature bomplained of. It might have been \rrong to publish it ; he did not know 1 what was published. Eor the present purpose it was not necessary that he should know. Mr Moore tilen proceeded to < with accused's past history. Sh<> gave her age as 16, and was just able to remember her mother liefore the latter was taken to an asylum. H«' mother died in a mental asylum in Australia. Accused was brought up in a ladies boarding school in Melbourne, and while she was there her father lost j. considerable sum of money, necessitating her returning home, Then she studied for a teacher, and got a license when 13 or 11 years of age. Within a year or so counsel understood she was convicted and discharged for false pretences in Australia. She then came to New Zealand. Dealing with the case in which accused forged Roy's name to a receipt, counsel said that while in town accused met a woman who knew her past and had been kind to her in the past, but wh > at that particular moment was very hard up. This woman demanded from her £2O, stating that if she did not receive the- money she would go to Roy expose accused's past, and get her dismissed. Accused tried to put her oil. but was unsuccessful and commit led forgery and obtained the money under a bill'of sale from Mr Ellis. Either one or two days after she received the moncv sho wrote to EUis telling hmi slit* had committed a crime, that the receipt was a forgery, and that she intended to moot him. She did not meet him ; she got afraid she would he run in by the police. Sins did her Iwst to evade the police, and evading them led to other crimes. From accused's past there was a possibility if not a probability that she was not retponsible for lies actions, and he would ask the Court to hliive her examined by medical experts as to the condition 'of her mind, l>r l>e Latour, who was for many years one of the examiners in modical jurisprudence, would say that the 'facts as disclosed to him made a prima facie ease that the accused was not responsible for her actions.

Jlis Honor : If so, she ought to be sent to an asylum and kept there. Aifter passing <A sonU'iioo she will lw examined medically. Tf the result is that she is declared insane, she will 1)0 removed from the plaec where she will 1)0 sent, but 1 nm not going to commit her to the asylum now. Mr Moore : If your Honor makes an order that slin will be luwlicall.v examined by mental expertsHis Honor : T don't know whether 1 will mak- an order, but I'll suggest to the Crown (hat she should hn examined. After the Crown Prosecutor had read a list of previous convictions (lis Honor said to accused : '■ Veil will be sentenced for a term of two years ■•with hard labor on each charge, concurrently, and 'will also be. dei'laivd an habitual criminal. If it be the niso that the prisoner is mentally deficient, thai can be. ascertained n"<\ she can get into an asylum in a proper manner. That will be a matter for the consideration of the Covenmicnl afterwards."