HIGHWAY ROBBERY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2927, 13 November 1916, Page 6

HIGHWAY ROBBERY

BAG-SNATCHER PENALISED

FOUR GAOL-BREAKERS

SOME BAD RECORDS

On Saturday, Thomas Ridout, the bag-snatchcr, was sentenced in the Supremo Court to two years' reformative treatment. Ridout had boon found guilty on three charges of stiatching bags from women on Mount Victoria.

"This was done in broad daylight," observed the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout), when passing sentence. "In tho olden days it was called highway robbery, and far back, in your grandfather's day, you would have been hanged for it." • Four Terrace Gaol prisoners whom a jury convicted of disabling a warder iti an attempt to escape from prison, had two years added to their already long sentences. The men were George Crowther, John Daintry Campbell Birch, Hector M'Lean, and Charles Hazeldino.

The_ Registrar : Crowther, is there anything you wish to say as to why the sentence of the Court should not he passed upon you? Crowther: I would like His Honour to deal with me as leniently as he can. I have already had three months' solitary confinement. The Chief Justice: What for?

Crowther: Awaiting trial. Tho Chief Justice: That is not solitary confinement. You get your ordinary rations just the same.

/Crowther said ho had been kept apart, and had had no one to talk to for the three, montns.

Birch, a youth with a life-sentence, was_ asked if he wished to speak. Birch: I have been found guilty, but I would like you to remember that both Crowther and M'Lean voluntarily stated that I took no part in the assault.

The Chief Justice: The fact is, there is something abnormal about you. There is an old Latin maxim which means that anger is a short madness. Now, you suffer from that. His Honour said he had learned that Birch had met with an accident when a child, and it seemed to have affected his brain. Still, he could get free from gaol if the authorities thought it safo to allow him out. If they thought it ilnsafe they could nover let him free. Prisoners should remember that people connected ivith prisoners were anxious to do what they could-for tho inmates of the gaols. For a youth not yet eighteen Birch's record was terrible—theft, attempted murder, five charges of forgery and uttering, breaking and entering and theft, and other charges. "There must be something wrong with you mentally, or you could not go on like thn.t. I intend to recommend that you bo placed under a doctor. It may be a doctor you need more than a gaoler. _ We must try to help you, but -a man like you could not be put in a hospital. i To M'Lean, His Honour said "You began when a lad; I have your record from Australia. You began with horse-stealing. Then you were found armed at night; no visible means of support, house-breaking, and attempted house-breaking." In Australia lie had received an indeterminate sentence, and in New Zealand sentences of five years and three years. "You seem to think you are a Hernial nian," said His Honour, concluding with M'Lean. . "You are not. You are the same as a lunatic." The sentence of tho Court was two years' reformative treatment. With Hazeldine it would be made to run concurrently with his previous sentence, and to Birch it would not matter, as his is a life sentence.-

'There is still hope for you," proceeded the Judge. They must, he added, oboy the rules of the prison. They got books to read, and they should endeavour to_ amuse themselves. Ho hoped the time would come when they could amuse themselves more; in fact, that time was coming. They should strive to earn a chance of getting out on the prison farms, where they would lead an open-air life in gardens full of flowers and have no four walls to hem them in. It would he a terrible" thing to live and die in gaol. "Now try and do your best!" ' .Edward Winter, a taxi-driver, who assaulted two women in Lis car, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and declared an habitual criminal. The Chief Justico said ho looked upon a taxi-driver as one of the most responsible people in the community "'here women and children were concerned, and he wondered how a man of Winter's charactcr was given a licenso. Winter had tried to induce these women to live in his liouse and become immoral, and had assaulted them. Also he had a bad record.

Herbert Mackersey, five years a soldier, three years in the Royal Australian Artillery, and willing to servo in tho war, was sent to gaol for stealing two "watches and a paii l of binoculars from an acquaintance, a poor working man, who had befriended him by lending him money. In His Honour's Mackersey's act was a very mean one.

Frederick George Smith, who had pleaded guilty to two charges of theft from a dwelling, was sontenced to two years' reformative treatmcut, and declared an habitual criminal. His sentence will run concurrently with another ho is already serving. Frederick Edward Upham, who had been found guilty of forgery and uttering, was ordered to appear for sentence when balled on. A former cmployor guaranteed to find work for him. Mr. H. F. O'Lcary appeared as counsel for Upham.

Joseph Jtooney, who was convicted of the theft of money he said lie picked tip in tho street, was admitted to probation, on condition that ho did not go to hotels or touch strong drink. Maude Williams ivas sentenced to three months' imprisonment for bigamy.

Thomas M'Namara was to have been tried on Saturday on a charge of attempted indecent assault. However, when the Court sat, Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared and asked that, as counsel who -was to have appeared for M'Namara was unable to attend, tho caso should be set back.

The Chief Justico said tho charge was a serious one, and he thought It his duty to allow the caso to stand over, so that M'Namara would liave a cliance of engaging other counsel. The case is to be heard to-morrow.