Police Court.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 68, 17 September 1896, Page 2

Police Court.

Wednesday, September 16th. j (Before Messrs H. L. Sherwill and J. Bruce, J.'s.P.) The case Police v. J. W. Watson, on a I charge of abduction was continued from : the previous day's sitting. Constable ; Tuohy conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr Reade appealed for the ! defence, while Mr Sandilands watched j the case on behalf of Mr R. Robinson. Mary Ann Louisa Robinson was again under examination, but nothing new was elicited, her evidence being mainly in the direction of a denial that accused had induced her to leave home or agreed to go away with her, but that they met accidentally in the train at Feilding, when accused offered her a home with Mrs Watson in Wanganui. Elizabeth Sarah Robinson, wife of Richard Robinson, and step-mother of the previous witness, did not give her consent to her step-daughter going away with any person on Saturday, sfch inst ; made searching enquiries for her stopdaughtcr when witness found that she had gone, with thg result that aceuHed was arrested. Richard Robinson gave evidence of having two homes— one at Makino and another at Waituna, where three of his children stayed to get meals for him and a son who drove the coach in turns ; in 1 consequence of being told that accused had the girl out with him on the cart, had told him not to go near witness' stables while he (witness) was not there ; he gave evidence of his daughter having' left home, and to his laying the information against accused, who was arrested. In cross examination by Mr Reade he denied that he (witness) was the cause of his daughter leaving home ; witness' daughter Emily saw accused at the Makino station on the sth inst., when the 6.12 train was going up and asked him (accused) where Mary was, receiving the reply that she had returned to Waituna on the coach ; accused said he was going to Wanganui by the Saturday evening train ; on Sunday laid the information against accused. John P. Jensen, keeper of the Coffee Palace boarding house at Palmerston N. deposed to accused and the girl going to his house on the sth inst, and asking for lodgings ; accused said he came from Pemberton and that the girl came from Wanganui ; accused did not say where he was going on the Monday morning. Dr J. Sorley gave evidence of examining the girl, but it was of an unimportant nature. Constable Healcy^gave evidence of being present at a conversation between the accused and his wife, the latter saying that her husband was a liar and she could get him into trouble if she liked ; the wife was excited at the time ; on the occasion of the first interview between accused and his wife the latter told witness she was destitute and asked if she could get the money accused had in his possession ; the request was acceded to and £5 18s 6d was paid to accused's wife. Mtev hearing argument by Mr Sandilands in support of the charge, to the effect that it was immaterial under the Criminal Code Act, 1893, whether the girl consented to leave home or not, and the contention of Mr Reade that the information should be dismissed, the Bench decided there was a case to answer. Mr Reade then called the accused, John W. Watson who deposed : Uj> to the Ist inst, had been in the employ of Ran son and Son, Waituna, as a baker, for about three months; knew Mary Robinson to speak to for about ten weeks ; he denied that any undue familiarity had taken place between him and the girl at any time ; denied that Mr Robinson had ever complained of witness going over to his place, but the girl said her father objected to it ; did not go after he was requested not to ; the girl told witness she was miserable at home and expressed a wish to go to an aunt at Oarterton ; witness then offered her the money to go ; before this she told witness the cause of her trouble ; it was arranged the girl should go to Carterton alone ; at about 2.30 on Saturday afternoon, left Waituna and walked to Feilding ; saw Emily Robinson (when on his way to Feilding) at Makino and she asked witness if he had seen Mary ; accused replied that a female was in the coach, but could not see if it was Mary ; got into the last train (to Palmerston) where he saw the girl ; suggested to the girl that instead of her going to Carterton she should go to Wanganui to stay with witness' wife ; this was agreed to before the train arrived at Palmerston ; they intended going to Wanganui on the Monday morning, but missed the train ; the girl would not go home. At 5.30 the case was again adjourned until 10 a.m. this morning.