AMY BOCK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2513, 28 May 1909, Page 5

AMY BOCK.

DECLARED AN HABITUAL CRIMINAL.

[Per Press Association.]

DUNEDIN, May 27

Amy Bock, whose arrest led to sensational developments last month, came before the Supreme Court to-day for sentence tin charges of forgery, uttering, two charges of false pretences, and a charge of making a false statement under the Marriage Act. 1908. At the outset, Mr. -Moore, who appeared for the accused, said she wished to draw attention to statements published in the daily press. The papers in the Dominion had published statements in regard to accused which should not have been published until after she was found guilty. His Honor said that if Mr. Moore thought the papers had committed contempt of Court lie could take proceedings against them. His Honor added that he could not recall anything in particular of the nature complained of that it might have been wrong to publish. He did not know what was published, and for the present purpose it was not necessary that he should know. Mr. Moore then proceeded to deal with accused’s past history. She gave her age as 47, and was just able to remember her mother before the latter was taken to an asylum. Her mother died in a mental asylum in Australia. Accused was brought up in a ladies’ hoarding school in Melbourne, and while she was there her father lost a considerable sum of money, necessitating her returning home. Then she studied for a teacher, and got a license when 13 or 14 years of age. Within a year or so counsel understood she was convicted and discharged for false pretences in Australia. then came to New Zealand. Dealing with the case in which tlie accused forged Roy’s name to a receipt, counsel said that while in town accused met a woman who 'knew her past and had been kind to her, but who at that particular moment was very hard up. This woman demanded from her £2O, stating that if she did not receive the money she would go to Hoy and expose accused’s past and get her dismissed. Accused tried to put her off, but was unsuccessful and committed forgery and obtained money under a bill of sale from Mr. Ellis. Either one or two days after she received the money, she wrote to Ellis, telling him she had committed the crime; that the receipt was a forgery, and that she intended to meet kirn. She did not meet him. She got afraid she would be run in by the police. She did her best to evade the police, and evading them led to other crimes. From accused’s past there was the possibility if not the probability that she was not responsible for her actions, and lie would ask the Court to have her examined by mental experts as to the condition of her mind. Dr. deLautonr, who was for many years one of the examiners in medical jurisprudence, would say that the facts as disclosed to him. made a prim a. facie ease that the accused was not responsible for her actions.

Hie Honor: If so, she ought to bo .sent to an asylum and kept there. After the passing of sentence she will ho examined medically. If the result is that she be declared insane, she will be removed from the place where she wi 11 be sent, but I am not going to commit her to an asylum now. Mr. Moore: If Your Honor says, an order can be made that she will be medically examined by mental experts. His Honor: 1 don’t know whether 1 will make an order, but I’ll suggest to the Crown that she should be. After the Crown Prosecutor had read tho list of previous convictions. His Honor said to accused: You will bo sentenced to imprisonment for t\yo years with .hard labor op each charge concurrently, and will also be declared an habitual criminal. If it be the ease that the prisoner is mentally deficient that can be ascertained, and she can get into an asylum in a. proper manner. That will be a matter for the consideration of the Government afterwards.