THE WARING TAYLOR CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1363, 9 July 1885, Page 1

THE WARING TAYLOR CASE.

Wellington, July 7. Waring Taylor was brought up for sen'cuce at the Supreme Court this morn, ing, (he Court being crowded. During his incarceration in gaol Taylor has grown much stouter, and his whiskers and moustache have become much longer. As he advanc-d to the prisoners’ stand it was seen ihat lie was trembling in every limb and wearing a very anxious look. During i,he few minutes lie was obliged to appear before the public be leant heavily against the. front of the dock and held one hand on the top of his face ns if to conceal his agitation. Permission was given to Mr Shaw, counsel for the prisoner, to address the Court, which he did as !'o"o'.vr: On behalf of the prisoner I would venture to remind the Court that there are one or two circumstances which may very fairly be considered to ,be ,in his favor, at least so fir aa mitigation' of his sentence is concerned, I ami aware that your discretion in apportioning a sentence is absolutely unfettered, but at the same time I feel sure you will carefully weigh the surrounding circumstances both for and against the prisoner at the B». Your Honor, the prisoner is an old man ; be is, lam informed, in his 66th year. Out of that life he has spent some 43 years in this city. lam aware that, in reminding your Honor that during the greater part of that time he held the esteem of his fellow citizens, I lay myself open to a rejoinder that lie would never have been able to commit the crime but for the trust reposed in him. At the same time I cannot help thinking that in deciding the amount of the sentence- your Honor will take into consideration that the prisoner's career during 40 odd years was absolutely free from taint. Again, your Honor, 1 would submit that what might be a heavy' punishment for one may be a very trifling matter for another. Those whoarefamiliar with the crimimddass find that to a hardened criminal gaol life is no hardship whatever, but to a man brought up and accustomed to such a life us tho prisoner has been living, an element of torture must enter his soul when he discovers himself in prison. Tnaf, I submit, is an element to be taken into consideration in dealing with this case. In t/ie present instance a heavy sentence would b - absolutely crushing to the prisoner ; in fact, Igo so far to say that the prisoner has already been punished beyond the reach of further punishment. I believe those who prosecuted in this matter have no desire that the Court should exercise any severity in passing sentence on the prisoner. At the same t ine I cannot help recognising the fact that your Honor is here to vindicate the ends of justice. I feel confident that in apportioning the sentence you will entirely lay aside the evidence before you in regard to the conviction widen has been quashed, and also upon the other two indictments that might have been preferred. The prisoner lias only been convicted upon one indictment. His Honor; Mr Taylor; Before your Counsel’s address, I had carefully considered what sentence should be imposed upon you. Undoubtedly, the first feeling I had when the] jury convicted you was that very severe punishment should he imposed. Further consideration of the matter, however, has induced me to think that the ends of justice may be served , without going to the extremes I first felt bound to in apportioning the sentence, taking into account your age—that is really the only circumstance in your favor —in mitigation of the sentence. There are really no other circumstances, in my opinion, which would justify me in mitigating your sentence. There is no ocher reason which I should take into consideration, All I can say is that the offence of which you have been found guiity, is an extremely grave one, but moie so when committed by one who has held such a position of trust as you occupied. The sentence of the Court is that you ho sentenced to five years’ perial servitude. The prisoner was then removed. It is understood Waring Taylor will not serve his sentence in the Wellington gaol, but probably at Lyttelton.