TEMPTED, AND TRIED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 106, 1 June 1909, Page 3

TEMPTED, AND TRIED.

DAISY DIXON DEALT WITH. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., a charge of theft of a silver-backed mirror and a silver-backed hair-brush, of the total value of Xi 10s, the property of Mrs. Mabel France, from the Terminus Hotel, was preferred .against Daisy Dixon, a domestic servant. Sergeant Haddrell stated that Ire was prepared to a'duce the charge to one of simple theft, so that accused could be dealt with summarily instead of being sent to the Supreme Court. ThSalvation Army authorities had expressed their willingness to take her into one of their homes. Accused was before the court on Monday last on a charge of theft of money from a lellowonrployee. She wiis then dealt with leniently, but a search of her belongings then revealed this other offence. Th» theft for which the woman was now charged was committed before she was arrested the first time, but it had been made worse by the fact that the accused had mutilated the articles by cutting away from them the monograms of their owner.

Accused pleaded gunty. Sergeant Haddrell informed (he Court that he had communicated with the police at the Bay of Islands, where accused hailed from, and had learnt that there were no police records of her. Her friends, however, would have nothing to do with her.

His Worship stated that in a case such as this he did not like to send a girl of accused's age to gaol. It was a difficult matter to deal with. The theft had lwcn committed before the one for which she was previously convicted. Had it been committed afterwards accused would have been sent to gaol. She had been in gaol since Thursday last, so she had received some little punishment. He would give her a chance, but if she wore brought before the Court again she would be scut to gaol. Accused would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, on condition that she entered the Salvation Army home. She must understand, however, that if she got into trouble again she would be sentenced to imprisonment on the present charge.