SEVEN YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18840, 11 August 1923, Page 6

SEVEN YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT

NOTORIOUS CHARACTER PUT AWAY. (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Aug. 10. James Reynolds Haynes was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. Mr Hanlon, tor the prisoner, gave his age as 71, and stated that he was clippled with rheumatism. He also suffered from a bad heart, and in these ciicumstances he asked the Judge to give the utmost weight to the jury’s recommendation to mercy. Judge Sim stated that he always treated the jury’s recommendation with respect. According to the police J eport, it was common knowledge that Hayne was an abortionist of some skill, who had several times stood his trial. In view of the police report and the circumstances of the pi esent case, his plain duty was to impose a substantial term, which would have been much longer hut for the jury’s recommcndaiion. Judge Sim added to the prisoner : “ Hitherto juries have displayed a curious reluctance to convict iu your case however complete the evidence may be. Happily thnr reluctance has been overcome, and at length twelve men have been found prepared to observe the oath they had taken and return a verdict recording to the evidence. Dunedin has been redeemed from reproach of being a city where a notorious abortionist was able to carry on with impunity and laugh at the law.”