The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-10 00:00:00

THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS
IS HARD!"

At Bow-street Police-office, in London, lest week, George
Roberts, a inan about sixty years of WC was brought up so
a writ of habeas win.; from Wandsworth prison, where he
is now undergoing a sentence of three months' imprison-
ment as a rogue and vagabond, on the charge of being at
large before the expiry of a sentence of transportation for
life, which had keen pawed upon him in the year 1048.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Poland, in-
structed by the solicitors to the Treasury.
John Humphreys, the chief warder of her Majesty's
gaol of Newgate, stated that he had been a warder in
that gaol since 1836. He produced the certificate of
the conviction of George Smethurst at the Central
Criminal Court in 1.837, for stealing from a dwelling-
house. He was sentence.l to be transported_ for life.
Witness was present at the trial, which took place in
the 24th of April of that year before Mr. Justice
Littledale, anti heard the sentence delivered. The
prisoner at the bar was the prisoner so sentenced.
Both before and after the trial he was under the care
of witness, who removed him from Newgate to Chat-
ham, and placed him on board the Fortitude re-
ceiving hulk for convicts. The prisoner was in
Newgate again in 1842, and was tried and convicted,
under the name of George King, alias Sunthurst, on
the charge of being illegally at large before the expiry
of the former sentence. He was again sentenced to
transportation for life- In December, 1851, the pri-
soner was again in Newgate, in the name of George ;
Read, for burglary. Witness produced the certificate I
of his conviction on that occasion, which recited that !
he had been previously convicted of felony, and he was
them sentenced to fourteen years' transportation. In
18fifi, he was again charged nith burglary, in the
name of Roberts. While in prison witness reco.tnised
his face, but being deceived by the change of name,
wee unable to remember what were his previous con-
victions and sentences. He was tried at the Central
Criminal Court, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to
eighteen months' imprisonment. After the con-
viction witness heard the prisoner mentioned by the
name of Reid, and was thus reminded of his former
history. Witness had no doubt of the prisoner's
identity whatever.
Richard Kemp, warder at Wandsworth prison,
stateil that he had brought the prisoner up on a writ
of habeas corpus from that prison, where lie was under-
going the sentence of three months' imprisonment as a
rogue and a vagabond. Witness was present when the
prisoner gave the governor an account of his history.
When transported for life in 1837, he was sent to Ho-
hart Town, where he was one of the crew of the jolly
boat of Sir John Franklin, the Governor of that colony.
An opportunity of escape occurred to Min, anti be
made his way bane. On his second transportation
in 1842 he was again sent to Hobart Town- After
some time he obtained a ticket of leave giving lain
the liberty of the colony. fie then joined the Hobart
Town police. After remaining some time in the
force he again made his escape, and went to America.
The first night he spent in that country he was robbed
of 4:50 which he bail saved while in the force. He
then worked his way to France, and thence to England.
In 1851 he was again transported for 14 years, said
again sent to Hobart Town. Here he obtained as be-
fore a license to go at large in the colony, and once
more entered the police. But hearing that his mother,
who was possessed of some little property, had (lied in
England, he was again tempted to escape and return
to England, in order to look after that estate. Wit-
ness knew that he was in England in May 1865, hay-
ing seen him at that time in Wandsworth Gaol under
sentence of three months' imprisonment for larceny
under the name of George Sitnmonds.

„.-,-
The magistrate said it was a most unfortunate thing
for the prisoner that he did not remain in Hobart
Town, which seemed to be the only place where he
acted with any honesty. He had done very well there,
and had saved money while in the police force.
The prisoner said that the term of his last sentence
had fully expired, and he did not think it was legal
that a man should be tried several times for one
offence.

- The magistrate : But in 1842 you were sentenced for
the term of your natural life, which sentence has not
expired, for you are still living.
The prisoner was fully committed, but the magis-
trate observed that it would be advisable to prove at
the trial that as a matter of practice the license fir the
colony did not justify a convict in returning to
England.

On Monday the wretched old man took his trial, and
was found guilty, and when asked what lie had to say
why sentence should not be passed upon him, the
prisoner said,—My lord, have compassion upon an old
man, and don't send me again to those penal colonies.
Don't send me where I shall be "niggered," flogged,
and brutally ill-treated and ill used. Many a clay
when I was out there have I thought of committing
some horrible murder in order that I might be hanged
upon a gallows and so escape from the hands of the
tyrants who almost persecuted me to death. Oh !
don't send me now, in my old days, to those dreadful
places.

•
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said,— Your
career is an exemplification of what we have Often read
—that "the way of transgressors is hard." You have
lived a life of crime, succeeded by a life of misery. It
would be quite impossible that I mold allow you to
remain at large. The sentence upon you is that you
he kept in penal servitude for the term of your natural
life.