A PRISONER'S PLEA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2439, 19 April 1915, Page 9

A PRISONER'S PLEA

UNUSUAL LETTER "NOT A CRIMINAL AT HEART" "I am going to appeal to you to show me a little sympathy, and I promise most faithfully I am going to be a different man, and I will never as long a's I live drink any more, for this has been a most terrible lesson to me." This is an extract from the letter of a. prisoner, wlio, under promise of reformation, appealed for liberty and a chance to rcdot;m tho past. The prisoner was William Sellar, who, having pleaded guilty to charges of breaking and entering and theft in the Hastings district, appeared in the Wellington Supremo Court on Saturday morning to be sentenced. The Crown Solicitor (Mr. H. H. Ostler) informed the Court that Sellar was years of age, a native of Scotland, and that he lad been some little time in New Zealand. _ Twice drink had led to his boing convicted ill a. Magistrate's Court. Recently Sellar had been working for Maoris in the Hastings district. The police said that he was not a criminal really, but that he did wrong under the influence of drink.

Mr. Ostler read this letter which the prisoner had sent to Detective Butler, of Hastings:—"l have now coma to my. senses, and I can 6eo that drink is making such a beast of me, and bringing such terrible 6hame as this on me. I don't want to cause you any further trouble, and I would like to let you know that I am guilty, although I have very little remembrance as to the awful, mad act I-did. I am sorry I put you to unnecessary trouble, but i was still under intoxication when you came for me. Mr. Butler, I am going to appeal to you to show me a little sympathy, ,and I promise you faithfully I am going to be a different man, and I will never as long as I live drink any more, for this has been a most terrible lesson to me. If you will try to do something for me, I promise you you will never regret it, for I am in real, earnest, and f mean it. Hoping you will try your best for me, for I am not a criminal at heart, and it is drink that has brought this shame on me."

Mr. Justice Chapman, who presided in the Court, said that the case was one in which the prisoner should have a chance, but he pointed out that if Sellar took liquor he would find himself in trouble. "Are you willing," he asked the young man in the dock, "to undertake as part of the probation that you take no intoxicating liquor." Prisoner: "Yes, sir." Sellar was then admitted to probation, for twelve months, on the . conditions that ho did not touch liquor, and paid, by monthly instalments, £5 towards making restitution for the damapo ho had done. If the police found him drinking, he would forfeit his probation.

OTHER SENTENCES. FRAUD FOR CREDITOR'S SAKE. James Smyth, alias Farquhar, who had pleaded guilty to two charges of forgery and uttering and three of false pretences, was sent to prison for six months, after which he will be detained for reformative treatment. Mr. Ostler said that the prisoner had on other occasions been in trouble for dishonesty, and his Honour remarked that it, was suggested in . a letter handed to him from, Smyth that one of the acts now under review was an intentional fraud by which to benefit his creditors, "it seems to me," added His Honour, "a peculiar' frame of mind which allows a man to rob one person to pay another." Francis Joseph Haftka and Edward Arthur Breakwell, aged 19 and 24 years respectively, appeared to be sentenced for theft and forgery, in the Wairarapa district. The allegation was that Haftka opened a letter which he had b6en asked to post, and took from it a cheque for £23, whioh lie got Breakwell to cash. Haftka was admitted to probation for three years, and was required to pay 12s. 6d. per month by way of restitution, and as a. contribution to the expense the prosecution entailed on the community. Breakwell was admitted to two years' probation, and ordered to pay 10s. monthly ' Thomas Carter, 64 years of age, was sentenced to four months' imprisonment with hard labour, for breaking, entering, and theft.