TWELVE MONTHS’ HARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3782, 9 January 1908, Page 3

TWELVE MONTHS’ HARD.

Dangerous Criminal in Safe Keeping. Christchurch, January 3, Though house breaking in New Zealand has not yet become the fine art that English burglars have made it, there are dangerous men in the Dominion’s large centres, who have to be carefully and continually watched by the detectives. John Hayes has for some time been a source of trouble to the Christchurch police, and on nth December he was brought before Mr V. G. Day, S.M., and charged with consorting with reputed thieves. He was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, and yesterday he again appeared at the Court before Mr. H. W. Bishop. Detective Kennedy said that the accused had left the Court on nth December, and had immediately met a reputed thief with whom he had been seen later in the day. The detective produced a letter written by Hayes to a well-known Auckland criminal. The letter asked Hayes’ “ cobber ” to come to Christchurch about New Year Time, and not to “drum” anyone he was coming, as Hayes had some good things to “pull off” here. A telegram from the Auckland police was read by Detective Kennedy, in which the letter was mentioned, and a copy of the letter was handed to Mr Bishop. Hayes addressed the Bench, staling that he wrote to the man to ask him to come to Christchurch, as his friend w : as a running man, and they would probably win some races. intended to go to the Bays grass seeding, and had been very careful in his company. Accused palled his mother, a woman of years of age, who made a rambling statement about what a good boy her son was : he never stafyed out at night, and was a hard Mr Bishop said that in the face of the evidence given,* by the detectives the letter written to Cox, and accused’s record, /it was helpless for him to ask leniency. “I consider,” said |Mr Bishop, “ that you are qi dangerous criminal, and a d/anger to the community. You { will be sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard lateour.” Hayes is kminvn throughout the Dominion. .