ARBUCKLE SENTENCED

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1922, Page 1

ARBUCKLE SENTENCED

FOUR YEARS’ REFORMATIVE DETENTION. [B'f Tgi.nn.nAPJl—-EK PHKBB ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, -May 12. John Arbucikle was sentenced to-day to four, years’ reformative detention. Counsel lor prisoner pleaded special circumstances, one of which was that Arbuckle had ai family to support, and lie was no longer a young man. He stressed Arbuckle’s assistance to the Crown in the matters of the Eggers’ murder ease and the conscription strike. Arbuckle, he said, had been placed in a position for which he was practically unfitted. He had .seen a largo amoiuit of money pass through hia hands, with no check, save a. ludicrous audit each year. 1* ormerly he was an honest worker. Counsel pleaded for leniency.

His Honour said he strongly supported tho jury’s rider condemning laxity in the Federation book-keeping system. Counsel, he said, had alluded to Arbuckle as a, man who had been dragged from a mine to keep books, and lie certainly was unsuitable for the position, but the facts were that ti hooks had not been written up for a long period, and that, though some money may have been muddled away otherwise, the ease of the Broken Hill levy—money, which was raised from hi* companions to relieve Australian families—showed unmistakeably there was a dishonest intention and that Arbuckle hn/d really roblied his mates.

ARBUCKLE SPEAKS FOR LENIENCY.

At this point, Arbuckle obtained leave to address the Court. He gave a detailed account of hardships to himself on Ills small Federation Secretaryship pay, these culminating, lie said, in debts, which he stole to satisfy, and when he could not replace the money, he had gambled, but, when he won. he paid £1,300 into the Federation’s aei lint. Prior to this Wellington billet, he. said he was always a man with two or three hundred pounds on hand. He neither drank nor smoked. He had been thrifty and industrious. He pleaded for leniency, as lie bad a wife and three children in Australia. He said that no penalty that his Honour could inflict would equal the pairi he had suffered at the pangs of conscience. I His Honour:—“ Accepting what you ' say, and how you got into debt, you | deliberately robbed the people of Aus- ! trnlia of some £I,OOO, and. during eight months, you stole £2,200. T cannot see any redeeming feature in tho case. You were appointed because the Unions luiYc confidoncei in your integiT tv. You have abused it. You will have to convince the Prisons Board that £2,000 is not slowed away. ]n sentencing Arbuckle, the Judge said tho sentence might be revised by the Prisons Board upon his convincing the board that none of the £2OOO was stowed away. The giving of such information might lead to the board’s recovering some portion of the money gambled away. Arbuckle pleaded lie drew.insufficient remuneration and had to pay £2 10s weekly expenses and travelling, and 10s fortnight dues, leaving an insufficient .balance to. maintain his wife and children. Hoping to retrieve the jHisition, he used the first .£IOO for gambling, and got deeper in. Finally he be came irretrievably lost.