SUPREME COURT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 26 February 1914, Page 9

SUPREME COURT

FORTY DEEDS OF BURGLARY.

BY NEW ARRIVAL.

FOURTEEN MONTHS OF GRIME

His Honour tlve Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), with n-'hoiu Mr. Justice. Hosking was assocsatftl on'the bench, passed sentence on two prisoners in the Supremo Co irt yostdrday noniing. After fourteen months' residence in, New Zealand, Arthur Douglas,, a man in tho early, thirties, stood convicted of 40 offences of burglary. These crimes ivero recently committed at Wellington nud Auckland. His Honoar-remarked that prisoner seemed to have been engaged in nothing but burglary since'he came to the country. ■ -It appeared: that \V-hen he came to New Zealand he had a certain sum of money, but he had squandered it in gambling. This only aaclo his case tho woj-sc, inasmuijh as it indicated that he ivas not an industrious citizen. Bventajilly, when.he lmd.bst his money, he had set about to steal other people's money to make up bis gambling Josses. As,accused was not an old man, and as there might'bo a possibility of reform-, ing him, his sentence; iv.ould.be a fremiti' one, but he would be'-declared an habitual criminal. ' This -would bring him mi-' drr tho control of tho .Prisons. Hoard j which would have 'po«-t?r to Ifccnse siim out and. givo him a. clramo to reform. Douglas was sclitwreod in eighteen mouths' imiirisoiiraent, wittj hard taliosvr , and declared an 'liabitiud criminal. "Drawn to Drink by Worry." Leonard James I'arkcf Huston, p ib:ui of about'3o'. vears. of. age, hntl pieaded Ruil'ty t-n a charge of stealing a motor bicycle at AVcllingtoii. ' : '. Mr. -K. W. 51'CauHoII pWdW on l)e----half of the accused for leniency, on the grdund that tho prisoner had twn drawn ■ to drink .by worry, and had then.committed tho offenco. - '. , ; His Honour observed that prisoner, had not aggravated Isis crims by hraz-| oning it out, but he iMiist uiidt'rstand, nevcrtlioless, that if he came before the Court again ho would ho liable* te he doclai'cd an-habiti.ial eriniinal. ' flis Ilonbiir stronglv advised the prisoner to abstain from drink, .Huston -wne then sentenced to nino months' 'imprisonnsciiti with hard labour. .' ' *