DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 47, 24 February 1913, Page 6

DOMINION NEWS.

NONEGENARIAN BURNED TO DEATH. . (Per Press Association.) , Dunedin, February 24. The Balclutha police report that George Kirk, aged 92, was burned to death at Puerua some time between Thursday' night and Sunday afternoon. Apparently he had lived alone. A FLOGGING INFLICTED. Auckland, February 24. In sentencing Thomas Hammond, a young man connected with an indcceht*%ssault 'On a? little girl, i Justice Edwards said the grand jury had re- ' commended him to make a representation which would result in alteration of the law to provide for the use of the 1 lash. 'ln such cases he already had the power to order flogging, and ‘die’ hi tended in all these cases to inflict‘flogging. The number of strokes in the present case was not an indication of the number which would be ordered' in future. They would be materially 'increased, and would ho made a severe/ punishment instead of being only a severe warning. Accused was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, and to receive ten strokes of the lash v Robert Connor and Frank Rhodes, both old “men, found guilty of assaulting little girls were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and five strokes of the lash. The Judge said the gaol surgeon “Would be an attendance, and would stop the flogging if it were beyond'endurance of the prisoner. Warnings, he said ,were being given that in this class of prisoner over and over again, and it was clear that only practical punishment would suppress it. William Charles Spriggs, a young man, for a similar offence, received a sentence of three years impiisonment and ten lashes. In the case of Thomas Lack, 52, guilty of carnal knowledge of a girl under 16, the Judge said any flaw in the ■ Crimes Act was unable to older the lash, although in the case of an indecent assault, which was really a minor charge, he had that power. Prisoner would be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, and his Honor said he would make representations to the Department with the object of having the ’law amended.