AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10402, 24 August 1911, Page 5

AN IMPASSIONED APPEAL.

ON BEHALF OF A PRISONER.

Mr T. M. Wilford yesterday made an impassioned appeal for leniency on behalf of the prisoner Edward Reynolds, who had been convicted on the previous day of illegally supplying a certain instrument. The prisoner, counsel said, lived with his .mother at Taita, aaid carried on ibusinefesi in. Wellington. Up to his conviction he had been looked upon as a reputable citizen. The charge was serious, but it would not be loonsidered to be particularly grievous because the other party was escaping altogether. He .pointed out in Reynoldls' favour that he had not gone to the witness box and oomr mitited perjury... There wais not a ibfliaok mark against him in any shape or form. A jury would natturally believe a> girl, who 'Would impress- the m'emibersi more ith'an a man would. No good, lie said, would be done by a 'severe sentence. Prisoner's word ■was trusted, and he .was a generous, kindly man. If his. good character, would not stand him in good stead •now, it never would!: ' His Honour could! punish the prisoner by a fine; Reynolds' ihad gone through! enough already, xor about four months'he had been under the ban. Counsel asked His> Honour to give this man a chance. The mere allegation of the crime would cause Reynolds to be sbnraned, and could he not be helped l rather than put down ? Hda Honour: If possible, I would ihiave been very glad to yield to the eloquent appeal Mr Wilford made on .behalf of the prisoner, but the crime he is convdotedi of is siuch a serious one, and is so regarded by the Legislature, that .it. is my painful duty to impose a term, of imprisonment. A sententea of imprisonment for life is the maximum punishment; that show® wjhat a serious offence it is. Jib is not the oase of a young man, but he is of mature yeans,, and he must hafle engaged' in the comma ssion of the offence very deliberately, and 1 it very nearly resulted in l the death of the girl on whom tihe operation was performed. If she had not had the advantage of surgical aid, it would have resulted in her death. In these cirounxstiances it is my [painfu duty to impose the substantial sentence of five years' imprisonment ■with hlai'd labour. The prisoner, who had 'borne up weß, was visibly affected when-the sentence was pronounced.