Valuable Words

NZ Truth, Issue 1199, 22 November 1928, Page 11

Valuable Words

Women Shoplifters N Saved From Gaol (Fi'bm "N,Z, Truth's" Rep.) It was only a slip. of paper, but its contents, penned by the hand , of Fieid Major Annie Gordon, of the Salvation Army, saved two women from the cells of JVlourit Eden prison. Just a few word* on behalf of two middle-aged women, domestics turned shoplifters. THE3 stood side by side against the ''*■ dock, Mary Thompson, a rather plump, little -woman of 35 years, and her accomplice, Ada. 'Edgecomb, tall, f rail-looking, who gave her age as 45. They pleaded guilty to charges of stealing goods from Auckland business houses, having been caught m the act of , taking wearing apparel m a city shop. ' • ' Further Investigation by the police at a house .m Old Mill !Road, Grey Lynn, where, they resided, brought to light evidence of previous offences, and they faced ten charges when they came to* court. The elder woman admitted seven of the offences and the other pleaded guilty to three charges. 'Lawyers Inder and Wallace pleaded for leniency on . behalf of the women, asking that' they be not sent to gaol, and suggesting that the ends of justice might be met by the -infliction . of fines. , • . •.-*■■■• ' ' . • ■ ! : . The accused ' Edgecomb was m a very poor state of health, stated Lawyer Inder, . and was suffering from mental stress. Her husband; had left her ■■ and since then the wife had struggled to bring up her family, and was thought .highly of m the district where she resided. . On behalf of .the other woman counsel stated ' that she had riot appeared m court before, and had always been m poor circumstances.-; "The fact that, one . of them is m poor general health is very likely due to the excitement of stealing/ Said S.M. Hunt. .■'; . : The magistrate then turned, to the probation officer, who stood behind the accused, and asked for her report . on them. - : ' ■■..-■■■ ■ '.'" ' .•' ■'.-■■ '" -'■ ' ,■ ' ■'- '; ■■'•. After reading the report which Major 'Gordon handed to him, the S.M. said that he had decided not ,iq\ ,send\the women to gaol, and would impose fines of £20 and. £40 agamst Thompson and Edgecomb respectively. : ; :. "These two women can actually I thank Major Gordon/for not going to. prison for a month," he said. ~ ' "She ' would .perhaps die if sent to prison," were the words' the S.M. read from the Report concerning the accused Edgecbmb, arid he added that it was because of .the probation officer's plea for the. women's freedom that they had escaped.; gaol. '; :T- . :