Young German Tells Story of Hardship

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 515, 19 November 1928, Page 1

Young German Tells Story of Hardship

CAREER OF CRIME DECLARED AN HABITUAL Knocked about the country from piliar lo post, with every man’s hand against him because he was a German, Charles William Wahle embarked upon a career of crime to protect himself. This was the story told to Mr. Justice Frazer by Wahle when he, stood in the dock in the Supreme Court this morning to hear sentence on various breaking charges. Wahle told this story to Mr. Justice Frazer in extenuation of his offences. Prisoner had • pleaded guilty to breaking and entering and theft, and simple theft at Feilding, to four charges of breaking, entering and theft at Ohakune, and to two charges of false pretences at that town. “I would like to enter the witnessbox and make a statement upon oath." prisoner said, when his name w r as called. “You do not need to make any statement on oath,” said his Honour. “You can speak from the dock.” “But I wish to speak from the wit-ness-box, so that I shall be challenged and it will be seen that I am teiling the truth.” “You can just stick to that good resolution and tell the truth from the dock.” “When my father died our home was broken up,” began Wahle, in a tremulous voice. “I went to my uncle’s house and they started to knock mo about because I was a German. They used to send me to bed without any tea and I used to creep out to the cupboard to get food. That was how my career of crime started. My uncle nearly killed me. He said that if it was in his power he would put me in prison.” Prisoner went on to tell of other hardships. “And now,"' he went on brokenly, “after 14 years they have succeeded in getting me into gaol.” Wahle related how in the Police Court, Feilding, he had been arraigned in the presence of his uncle. “I am guilty to all charges, and that s why I helped the police to clear the offences up,” Wahle w r ent on. “There are several other charges which I have to answer, and lam going to plead guilty to those.” Prisoner sought lepiency in view of the fact that he intended to make restitution to the extent of £IOO after his release. “What you say about your early life may be quite true,” said his Honour, addressing prisoner. “I notice your father died when you were 10. It was not until several years later that you began your career of crime, and It .ooks as if th«* hardships of your early life have not affected you until after the time you should have been able to forget them. Since 1921 you have had eight convictions for forgery, false pretences and theft. You have received probation on two occasions, periods of reformative detention, and have been sentenced twice for escaping from custody,” said the Judge. There was no other conclusion than that Wahle had deliberately set himself on a career of crime. The decision of the Court was that on each charge of breaking, entering and theft prisoner should be sentenced to three years’ hard labour, the terms to be concurrent. On each charge of false pretences prisoner must serve two years’ hard labour, the terms again to be concurrent. In addition, Wahle would be declared an habitual criminal.