CHASING LADIES FOR KISSES

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1633, 27 December 1912, Page 5

CHASING LADIES FOR KISSES

NOT PERMITTED IN BALLARAT. "ESPECIALLY IN THE DAYTIME." The magistrates at the Balkrat. City Court on December 10 were occupied for some time in tearing a case of an unusual character. It was a. prosecution in which an amorous farmer, John Elliott, living in the Newlyn district, was charg-, ed with, at 5 p.m. on the previous day, chasing ladies in Sturt Street, and asking them tor kisses. ,

'■ Senior Constable Eeatherstone gave evidence that prisoner, who is a man of middle age, with a long flowing beard, accosted several ladies, and put his arms around their necks and waists, and sought to kiss them. One of the ladies, who accused had stopped was the wife of a subofficer in the.local police force. Mr. Pearse, J.P., chairman of the bench, inquired if the prisoner had gone mad, as his conduct was .very shocking.

Sergeant Nicholson replied that Elliott was apparently of a very loving disposition, but, .nevertheless, his conduct was of a highly objectionable nature. He was not drunk, but had evidently been drinking. Elliott, who is a single man, and one of the leading farmers in the district, told the Bench he was very 6orry for what he had done. He had come to Ballarat to buy a reaper and binder for the harvest. Sergeant Nicholson: And you went harvesting among the ladies in Sturt Street. (Laughter.) The chairman of the Bench informed the sergeant that the amorous agriculturist should be examined by a couple of doctors, as lie had a silly sort of a, laugh, and did not appear to realise his position, The kissing of ladies in Sturt Street by a man who was a stranger to them could not, added the magistrate, be tolerated, "especially in 1 the day." After further evidence had been heard, the Bench said it would deal summarily with the accused, who was fined 10s. The fino was immediately paid. As the farmnr was leaving the court the chairman of the Benoh said: "Take.my advice, and leave the drink alone. It will beat you, no matter how clever you are." i

"I'm going to," replied Elliott, as he huTried out.