STAR OF EVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1178, 28 June 1928, Page 8

STAR OF EVE

Its Twinkle Was Too Bright For Him (From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep.) • With over a' decade of service m the railways to his credit, John Briton Clark fell between the raila of honesty about nine months ago when he was placed on probation for twelve months for a minor offenoe. W/HEN Clark appeared m the Wei-. " lington Supreme Court f or sentence ; on a charge of forgery and .uttering, it was, stated that his lapse had; been brought about by his association ynva. a divorced woman. Lawyer W. B. Leicester, who appeared on prisoner's behalf, said that the woman with whom he had .been associated had exercised an evil, In.fluence over him. Prior to this he had lived an exemplary life and had $n unblemished record of service m the railways.; Clark was on probation when he committed the crime of forgery. He had failed to report for the month of April and this led to further trouble for him. ■ He was suffering from a complaint which had affected his legs and he was now a comparative cripple; Medical treatment was absolutely - necessary if prisoner was to regain his normal health and eventually take his place as a reputable citizen. ; His honor remarked that Clark did not deserve any consideration yehatever. He had neglected hia chance and broken the terms of his probation. On each of the tw© charges he would be sentenced to three years' reforma* tive detention, the terms, to be concurrent. A few days later Clark again made his appearance before the Wellington magistrate and pleaded guilty to the charge of breaking his probation. '■'■'.'■■' In commenting on the fact that prisoner had already been sentenced m • the Supreme Court, Magistrate Salmon stated that any further terms of imprisonment he might impose would be . concurrent with his present one. Therefore Clark would be convicted v and discharged. With the aid of his crutches,' Clark limped from the box to enter upon his v term of servitude m expiation of his crime.