SENSATIONAL LITERATURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 444, 22 December 1908, Page 3

SENSATIONAL LITERATURE.

And Its Effects.

The Eketahuna “ Robber.”

There were some remarkable circumstances in connection with the charge of entering a dwellinghouse at Nireaha by night, to which a young man, Frank All wood, bad pleaded guilty at the Wellington Supreme Court on Saturday.

Mr Page, of Eketahuna, said it would be useless to ask that the provisions of the Probation Act be extended to prisoner, because he had previously ‘ been convicted of theft. Prisoner had been working at a mill, and in view of the fact that it had closed down he went to visit a place where he hoped to get employment during the holidays. Armed witu two revolvers, he entered a dwelling, where there were three men and a woman. When the inmates refused to hold up their hands he backed out again. His object in entering the house was not to plunder. During the past two years he had written two plays of the sensational order, and he had intended to stage one of them. A day or two before the offence was committed a piece entitled “Robbery Under Arms” had been played in the district, and matters of the kind seemed to have occupied his attention. Mr Myers remarked that the police had ascertained that there was a good deal in what had just been stated to the Court. Prisoner appeared to be more fool than criminal. He had been reading a species of literature which had recently been condemned by Judges of the Court. Assuming that prisoner were sent to gaol, it would be as well, he urged, if he were kept apart from confirmed criminals.

His Honour said that, like other Judges, he did not know exactly how to deal with cases of this kind. Addressing prisoner, he continued: You have been reading idiotic books—a poor form of literature at the best. Get those childish ideas out of your head at once. It is quite unworthy of a young man to read such rubbish. I want to do something if possible to rid you of such nonsense. Such conduct as you were guilty of cannot be tolerated. It was very improper of you to enter the house, especially as one of the inmates was a woman, for members of that sex are likely to be terrified as a result of an-act ot that kind. You may not have intended to injure anyone or to have committed theft. You will be sentenced to three months’ imp risonment.