"A VERY SAD HISTORY."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 887, 5 August 1910, Page 8

"A VERY SAD HISTORY."

•'. BELATED IN COURT.'' ■ " (By Teleeraph—Press Association.! • ' ■ ' Christchurch, August 3. A case presenting several unusual ;-i'eatur'os was heard at .the Magistrate's Court A to-day when Minnie.Pollock, about 22 years of. agb, was charged .with, .obtaining goods froni two local drapery ■firms to the total amount of £10 by representing to one that she 'was the daughter of a-resident of Chertsey, and to. the' other, thttt she was a resident of Rakaia. •Accused's counsel said that she was. a wonmh'of very good character, and there, was ' absolutely nothing known ' against her with the exception of. the. present charges. l She had, no guilty intent'.'when she obtained the goods, and fully intendedto- pay for them. : The articles had. since, been paid: for, and he asked the trate: to. deal leniently w-ith her: . '■ Tho chief detective said ■ that she ■ was a married woman., and her husband' induced her to marry hiui secretly.' He was ; a lay preacher., '■'■:.''■'■'] '■. The Rev. Mr'. Rule, who was in Court, explained that her (accused's)- husband was astudent in Otago' University.- ■, '.'■. • The 'magistrate: This' matter unfits him for tho position he is studying for.. : The chief detective said that, when they. were married, she returned to her home, and on occasions, her husband went to see her.- After the marriage he stayed with, her people for a fortnight,, but'her. parents did not know that they were married. The goods had been re. covered, and tho only redeeming feature aboutihe husband's action was that he sent up tho. money, and made' restitution. •)'•". Accused stated that her husband intended to provide a home for her, and told her: to get as many things together as she could. The chief detective explained that sho wanted to hide- the fact that she was married. Before the man (Pollock) went, into' the family she was a good little woman, arid went to church regularly. 1 The magistrate said that it seemed to him to be a very sad history. The husIjand was not before him, but he would havo liked to have had liim before him to tell■ hhn his opinion of him.: This girl apparently was led astray_ by a man who, by virtue of his position; profession, and age, ought to havo dono the reverse.of what he did do. '-~ Replying to the magistrate accused said that she would go homo to her parents to 'live. . The magistrate fined her .£5 'on tho first charge and convicted and discharged her on-tho second,