A DEGENERATE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1752, 17 May 1913, Page 6

A DEGENERATE.

LAD TO BE DETAINED TEN YEARS. TAKAFUNA SHOOTING CASE. (By Telegraph.—Frees Association.! Auckland, May 16. Tho lad, Robin Jasper Crago, who received a great deal of notoriety in connection with tho recent shooting sensation at Takapuna, was placed in the prisoners' dock at tho Supreme. Court today charged with having, 02. March 13, at Takapuna, attempted to murder Bert Jamos Hannah and l'ercy Robert Skeates, and also with having caused actual bodilv harm to Hannah and Skeates. Mr. Justioo Cooper was on tlio Bench, and Mr. Thorn represented prisoner. Prisoner, When asked how ho would plead, replied: "Guilty." Mr. Thorn asked that his Honour should deal as lightly as pwsiblo with prisoner who was only 18 years of age. Ho was tho son of respcctablo parents, and had always shown himself to bo a painstaking and industrious lad. Mr. Thorn then went on to refer to a previous occasion ill August last, when prisoner was before his Honour on a charge of sending threatening letters. His Honour said that ho remembered tho oocasiou well. Ho had consulted with tiio Chief Justice, and it had been agreed that tlio lad should be treated as leniently n3 possible. Crago, who (it had been proved) was addicted to evil habits, had been solemnly warned to desist from 6lich habits, and after being ordered to find sureties as to future good behaviour, had been ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. It was because of his youth, and his solemn promises that this courso had been decided upon. Mr. Thorn remarked that Crago had been medically examined in gaol last week, and it had been found that ho had still been persisting in bad habits. His Honour said that thero was no doubt that this was tho cause of tho whole trouble. Unless prisoner mended his ways 110 Would soon bo a fit subject for a mental hospital. Mr. Thorn suggested that tho caso was more one for reformative treatment than for prison. "I am sorry to see you in this position, said his Honour, addressing prisoner. "You will recollect that, on former occasions, in order* to give you an opportunity of recovering that power of will and self-control that you had lost, owing to your habits, and to prevent tho matter coining prominently before the public you were brought before the Chief Justice and myself in private, in the presence of your father, and you were told that the in-' evitablo result of your indulgence in vicious habits would eventually bo madness, imbecility of mind, and early death. You promised that you would refrain. Although you are not insane in tho legal sense of tho term, you havo weakened your moral fibre and self-control, and it is bccauso of your evil conduct that you ! havo committed these extraordinary acts | which indicato not legal insanity, but boral and mental imbecility." His Honour added that the law allowed him, without inflicting a prior term of imprisonment, to send prisoner up for reformatio treatment for a maximum term of ten years. Ho would avail himself of tho opportunity provided, and would order prisoner to bo detained for a maximum of ten years' reformative treatment as this was prisoner's only chance of reformation. Prisoner would bo medically examined from time to time, and would, as far as possible, bo kept from criminal associations. Ho would be subjected to strict discipline, nnd the circumstances of his detainment would be sveh that opportunity would bo given to him to recover his strength of -will. Should tho Prisons Board at any period during the ten years consider that it would be safe to grant tho prisoner liis liberty they could remit some portion of ' tho term. , ,j ; : :V