The Illawarra Mercury, Tue 1 Feb 1916 ¹

POLICE COURT.
————
Tuesday.
————
(Before Mr A Elliott, SM.)
————

VAGRANCY.

    A young girl named Alice Hughes, aged 19 years, pleaded guilty to having no lawful visible means of support at Wollongong on January 28th.

    Constable McGirr stated that the girl came from Sydney with her brother, a young man named Eldridge, and a deserter from Liverpool Camp, who had since been returned. For a week they had been camped in the bush at Mount Drummond. They had no money or blankets. The girl’s mother died some years ago, and she had been an inmate of a home at North Sydney for some time, but continually escaped.

    The girl asked for another chance, or to be sent to a home.

    She was sentenced to 14 days in the State Reformatory.

    John Thomas [Eldridge], aged 20, who was in the company of the girl Hughes, was sentenced to 14 days light labor in the State Reformatory.

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South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus, Fri 4 Feb 1916 ²

WOLLONGONG COURT.
————

    In the Wollongong Court last Friday,
…

A VAGRANT PARTY.

    In the Court on Tuesday John Thomas Eldridge (twenty), Alice Hughes (nineteen), and a boy (her brother), were charged with having no lawful visible means. They were strangers, and had been about Mt Drummond for some days. One of the party, a soldier named Hall was discharged. Eldridge was ordered to be imprisoned for fourteen days; Alice Hughes was ordered to a woman’s reformatory; the boy to an institution. Bert Hall a soldier, was handed over to the military authorities as a deserter.

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The Daily Telegraph, Fri 2 Jun 1916 ³

CRIMINAL.
———

…
    At the Quarter Sessions, Darlinghurst, before Judge Bevan and jury.
…
    John Thomas Eldridge (21), for [indecently] assaulting a young lad, [Gordon Parkes Whitehall], was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment in Grafton Gaol. Prisoner had previously been convicted as a vagrant and was said to be a youth of weak intellect. His Honor said he would not allow him to be at large.

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The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 2 Jun 1916 ⁴

QUARTER SESSIONS.
(Before Judge Bevan and jury.)

    Mr AF Dawson, Crown Prosecutor.

PLEAS OF GUILTY.

    The following prisoners pleaded guilty, and were remanded for sentence:—
…

SENTENCES.

    The following persons who had admitted their guilt were sentenced:—
…
    John Thomas Eldridge, 21, serious offence, 18 months’ hard labour in Grafton Gaol.

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John Thomas Eldridge, Gaol photo sheet ⁵

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Gaol Photo Sheet - Transcribed Details

No. 15072

Date when Portrait was taken: 2-6-1916

Name: John Thomas Eldridge

Native place: Trunkey Creek Year of birth: 22-5-1894 Arrived       Ship: in Colony }   Year: BS Trade or occupation previous to conviction  } Laborer Religion: C of E Education, degree of: R & W Height: 5' 5⅝" Weight     On committal: 115 in lbs     } On discharge: Colour of hair: Brown Colour of eyes: Blue

Marks or special features: Scar in centre of forehead. Bulbous nose

(No. of previous Portrait ... )  CONVICTIONS
Where and When				Offence.	Sentence
Wollongong PC Sydney Q.S	1 1	2 6	1916 1916	Vagrancy Indecent assault on a male person	14 days HL. 18 months HL.

 

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¹     The Illawarra Mercury, Tue 1 Feb 1916, p. 2. Emphasis added.

²     South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus, (NSW), Fri 4 Feb 1916, p. 20. Emphasis added.

³     The Daily Telegraph, Fri 2 Jun 1916, p. 7.

⁴     The Sydney Morning Herald, Fri 2 Jun 1916, p. 4.

⁵     SRNSW: NRS2467, [3/6093], State Penitentiary photographic description book, 5 May 1916-29 Aug 1916, No. 15072, p. –.

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