A MARKED MAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 205, 27 February 1914, Page 5

A MARKED MAN.

BREACH OF THE BANKRUPTCY ACT I!y Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Another instance of the far-reaching character of the recent labor troubles in the matter of their reaction On the life of tlie community in remote places, cume before the Police Court this morning, when a bankrupt named William J homas .Martin, aged 31, in admitting that, li" chained credit bv misrepresentation, pleaded in extenuation of his .vrong-doing, that he had a wife and three young children to keep, and had had to light for them with bis back to the wall, in consequence of hi H being a "marked" man because of his attitude during a strike episode. Mr E. 0. Cuttcn, S.M., said that he had long ago decided, m cases of fraud under the Bankruptcy Act, that there must always be ft term of imprisonment imposed upon conviction. People who lost the creditors' money in this way, though not dishonest in the -ordinary sense, were a great detriment to the community. They went into business in which they used someone else's capital. If there was a loss it fell on the creditors; if a gain it went to the. henelit. of the other person. It was a ease of heads I win, tails the other fellow loses.' His Worship was really sorry to impose imprisonment in this case, but it was necessary in_ the .interests of the community. Defendant would be sentenced to a month's hard labor.