FOR FIVE YEARS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5, 10 May 1913, Page 5

FOR FIVE YEARS.

cm a c:gss to gaol.

JUDGE SPEAKS PLAINLY

Melbouner, April lid. Thomas Jones C:da. the Cninese who liad pleaded guilty to having wounded tiro Consul-General for Oniiia, Mr Yung Liang Hwang, with intent to do grievous bodily harm, was today sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. Before sentence was passed the prisoner asked the judge to give kind consideration to the appeal made by his counsel last week. “I have truly repented of my rash act,” he added. “I have suffered keenly because of my fault, and I ask your Honor for mercy or iustice.”

In passing sentence, Ins Honor said that he would certainly not accept the appeal of prisoner’s counsel that l;e should allow the prisoner to go free on condition that he went back to China. That was a matter for the discretion of the Executive. It would Iks absurd to say to a foreigner who had committed a crime, ‘‘You can go free if you will return to your native land.” It was an extremely pitiable thing to see a young man with the prisoner’s record, and able to gain the esteem of prominent citizens, throw away his chance in life in one ash act. But Ids good character, as far it boro on the case at' all, told against him. An educated person ought to he able to exercise more control over himself than one who was not educated. His financial embarrassment, which had also been referred to, was caused by his own extravagance. It would he a curious doctrine for a Court of law to lay down that when a man got into monetary difficulties he should go about with a loaded revolver in his pocket. The crime was deliberate, cruel, and cowardly. He would not pass so heavy a sentence as he otherwise might, not because counsel had persuaded him, but because, owing to Ids physical temperament, the prisoner would suffer more in gaol than an ordinary person might. He then ordered Chia to he imprisoned for five years with hard labor.

Tlie prisoner, seemed to he quite overcome by-the sentence.