PRISON THE ONLY HOSPITAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8358, 19 February 1913, Page 7

PRISON THE ONLY HOSPITAL

“WILD BEAST LESS A MENACE TO SOCIETY.” Press Association. AUCKLAND, February 18. A case presenting some revolting features was heard at the Supreme Court to-day, when a young man named Lewis Weeks Byron was charged with having indecently assaulted a small boy. t ~ , Tho lad, who was respectably dressed, was in tears all the time ho was giving his evidence. ... , - The prisoner pleaded that ho could not help himself, as he was not in his right senses. His Honor, Mr Justice Edwards, said that tho prisoner was sufficiently in possession of his senses to know tho lay applying to this class of offence. On December 12th, 1906, he had been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for the same class of offence, in _ addition to a sentence he had served in 1903 for vagrancy. In March, 1910, he had also been sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment for vagrancy. He was one of these prisoners who were tho worst possible menace to society. “You have stated that you were unable to restrain yourself/’ his Honor continued, “and it is exceedingly probable you are quite correct. X intend to send you to prison, not with the idea of punishing you, but for the safety of the public. A wild beast would be infinitely less of a menace to society than you are. Every decent person recognises that this class of crime must be stamped out with an iron hand, and if you aro unable to restrain yourself you must bo detained as any other animal would be. It la in my power to order you to be flogged, but I could only order flogging if I deemed you to be fully responsible for your actions; but I think you are not responsible for your actions. Prison is tho only hospital to which I can send you.” The prisoner was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, and to a further term of ten years’ reformative treatment.