SENTENCE OF A LARRIKIN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3495, 19 September 1882, Page 4

SENTENCE OF A LARRIKIN.

That is a very bad caso which has lately occurred in Sydney, in which a murderous young ruffian named Philip Reilly, who was convicted of taking a prominent part in kicking John M'Kae Clark to death in the streets of Sydney, was let off with a sentence of two years' imprisonment. I ho prisoner was one of a gang of young ruffians who one night were engaged in ill-treating a poor Russian outside a public-house. Clark, seeing what was done, interfered, and the young scoundrels immediately set upon him, and kicked and trampled him to death. Tho prisoner was the only one arrested, and he had been seen to kick the deceased man in a very dangerous way. A number of people were called to testify in favor of prisoner's character, and the ju>*y, in finding him guilty of manslaughter, recommended him to mercy. The case was one which, from its atrociously barbarous and brutal character, was eminently fitted to serve as a deterrent ■warning to the gangs of young roughs who infest the streets of our cities. It is quite nauseating to find the Judge in sentencing the prisoner saying that he should not send him to Berima, where 'he would be placed amongst criminals of the worst type " ; but ' he had no objection to another gaol, in which evil influences did not exist, being selected, for he did not wish to see a young man of such a character sent amongst a bad class of people.' And so, after this apologetic sentimentality a man convicted of the most cowardly and brutal cruelty, ending in what *is only legally distinguished jfrorn murder, escapes with a sentence which is sometimes given to a petty thief for purloining a pair of boots. How is it possible to suppress larrikinism if in a case of such a nature, calling for so exemplary a punishment, so inadequate a sentence is passed ? — Exchange.