ANTICS IN COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1930, Page 3

ANTICS IN COURT

WINKJNp'AF {THE JURY., U li?&TE#s! ; -f ''.ki/v t l/f ! ' ; ■, —•. •. t<

For upwards of'two. iiouiys a 66-yeai-old bookmaker, named. -John, • H.awtntV kept the Reading Court in continuous laughter. Hawtin’s conduct was most , ieXtri^|,i|^ijiaiy>‘ 1 He 'studied racing Ifornv-from a book and pointed out “probables” to frowning goalers on either-:side of him; be winked and s>|ii|fcqj(ti.the emphasise points in the evidence; he reprqved the judge foreknowing °o little about betting;” expressed the opinion that the jury/shad; more sense than counsel. FLuvtin was charged with stealing 10s J from Mrs Elsie Lawrence. He lodged; witli her. for a night and. said fl-at- to repay her for her kindness to him he' lin'd put ids on a horse for her and her husband. He asked If she bad 10s in silver, and she handed ..him that ysuplj; Expecting -diim to give her a IQs SnOtei; Jbut did not do- so,' and she ;-;saw-TOJ~Tnpre 'of hijn. ".'..".riltl .I.*.

A detective... described Hawtin . ; as a cunning and plausible rogue. He had .been^SjSjLtimes convicted—-the .first ,occasidir in when, at the age of 13, lie -was- sent--to an- industrial school. for stealing 6d. His second conviction wiM ! in '•1889, when he was sent to rrisori for robbery with violence. There were convictions against him also at

j : ei--pe,. Karlsbad, and also in New Tealftmi. T n 1927 he was sentenced to six months at Brighton for stealing £7O fpdhv a woman. He met tlie woman arid' hbr- servant on Brighton promenade, and proposed marriage to her, he owned a racing stable near Lewes. The woman accepted him, and gave him £7O to put on a horse which, he declared, he knew.was going tp "Wifi. ~ ... the judge had .listened, to Hawtirr’S'“career of crime, he. remarked, “You have a terrible record.”

Hawtin immediately flung out his arms and exclaimed, “Can’t you let bygdhes"ire bygones?” He was sent to penal servitude for three years.