SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1992, 24 February 1914, Page 7

SUPREME COURT.

WANCIAC worry ;& lapse;

YOUNG'MAN-SENTENCED,

THE BANEFUL SIDE OF CAGES,

'A young, man named Alfred; Edwai'd' Tomlinsoit' appeared.befpfe;His-Ifon'our, the' Chief J'ustioe '(Sir' RooBrt" Stout)'' at tho Supremo Court yesterday morning, for seihtonco: on' a-' 'nUiuner: of counts.of theft.. '.-'"• ■■'•"'. Mr. T. M>. AYilford'appeared: fbi 4 accused; ■ Addressing- J His- Horibmv lit*, sai'd that- iti many cases oft theft evidence- of ruin through gambling and' drink was'produced. In, the present case, drink and gambling were-entirely absent-;-' for tho:-prisoner.'' had never been under tho influence'of drink, arid' had'never;'been guilty of gambling in any shape.. ' He had had some hard' luck, which!,, though no excuse for his acts', was in- the' way of an explanation. During tKb; last, twelve months of his; oiig'SgeriVent-with the Arm of Gollin and: Co.. fie-- had received a salary of £4 per week. ' ifo- was 1 , now 32 years of age,'and: had? a-' wife' arid» two- children. For months prior to the- discovery of. the thefts he : had had two/doctors and nurses attending his- family,, and- hadbeen sench'rig slims, which,might be; coii,sidered largo;- tovhis' Wh'o was iri poor circumstances. ,Up till the' discovery, been a anff-aiTeSc'e'llerif; clerk. Of coarse,, accused,-.understood,tliat ho had to the-, p'ena'lty. foi what,nfr bad 1 done, and, there was no opportunity at present;for'offering; back- the money which he hadt taken. , As Accused was first offender,, the .CfownV might see their way to Scridliim. td.a first offender's' ptispn cairip. . The* iworst thing nboutj. gaol was 5 it's*'' associations'. He liad had ineri cbiho' to: him, arid tell him that the; most trying part of their iniprisoririieflfc had been their association; with criminals; ( whoss language arid fouT. behaviour .'etiuld' not be 1 stopped'. He believed t&attHbWwe'rbrilbn'at the gaol for refdrmatiyo, treatment,who had not yet been' shifted. If that were correct it should be alterdd. Ho Would ask' that, if; accusbd were se'iite'nced, hb should, be. sent away front did: offenders! wholri it was apparently' impossible to reform. The Chief 'Gaoler (Mr. Scanlbn) explained that, under the new' Act, all prisons WerU.rbfdnflativb.'pfisons, and there'was rib nebd: to send., prisoners away.''- ''.-'■ '■" - ; Mr. "Wilford said that ho' didi not wish to cast any .reflection qnVthe gaoler orvvardbts. .... .' . His Honour: We have not yet got bur gaols in such condition as .Id got reformative tfdatnierit c'firfie'd out'.- Ybu' will' see th«t .by thb last. Pf-isbn, Bbaid. rbport; ',"''.-.• ' ■-,

The Croivii Pro'sec'utor flit. P, S. K. Macas'sey)' pointed out that the' t'dial depredations were '£400 odd; arid that they, had taken jalace' between- June,1012, and November, 1913, ' In passing 'sentence',- His' Honour' stated thai he' diet ridfi-'think that it would do accused: any gddd to rrtix with the other prisoners, so ho' would fecoiniiicrid that hS should Be.sent fo 'tho Waiapu Canip; The 44Llfjt,H!Jiich-..as-cusedliad .reoe'ivC.d; His Honour,, was -suJEcierft, to":, hflyo, kept him and-his fa.ftiiljl.r,' fed -h<s It-,was: not-a case.(wfero .-&,~ sternation wage was paid. ,No ddiibti the. sickness" in.-: thf,family .-.Md-'hamrJdYed .Mm, but ft would have been far better .if;.to.iise".d.' had gone ";to .hi?/,'employer, ...instead, of stealing his-.money.-.., He would',pass, a light .sentence.of-.15-months' detention, and., would .recommend- that accused should be sent to tho. Waiapu.Camp. Hd would, obtain remission of part of his' se'nteiiee if he behaved himself.