A Racy Youth.

Manawatu Herald, 8 March 1902, Page 2

A Racy Youth.

At the Wanganui Supreme Court on Wednesday, the youth Joseph Sweeney was brought up for sentence. He came into the box sobbing very profusely. The sheriff asked him the usual question as to why the sentence of the Court should not be passed upon him, and the boy muttered “ I want to go to the races.” This remark, which was not audible to His Honor, provoked a suppressed laugh, and thereupon His Honor said that on such solemn occasions as these, outbursts ot mirth were unseemly and must not be repeated. Upon learning what the youthful prisoner’s words were, however, His Honor appeared somewhat taken by surprise, and said that if ever there was an excuse for an exhibition of mirth such as he had just reprimanded, the boy’s answer was one. A

4«w moments later His Honor remarked that these words were a striking proof of the boy’s state of mind, the character of his associations, and the way he had been brought up. He was apparently utterly regardless of his moral duty to society; had no sense of the wrongs he had committed, and his only desire was to get back to his old ways and his old associations. He was not concerned about the crimes he had committed. His great and only grief was the chance of not being able to attend the races. In order that he may be removed entirely from his present associations for a considerable time, he would be sentencsd to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour. The authorities had then power to order his removal to a section of the Industrial School. Mr Fitzherbert said he would bring the facts under the notice of the proper euthorities with this object in view.