SHOCKING CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11128, 11 February 1930, Page 4

SHOCKING CASE

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST WOMAN. ACCUSED FOUND GUILTY. REMANDED FOR SEXTENCF. fPree* Association. AUCKLAND. Feb. 10. The trial of Aland Herbert,, charged with illegally using an instillment on a young woman who subsequently died, was held to-day. Details of a revolting nature were given bv a detective who raided Mr-. Herbert's house. Air. Justice Herdmnn, observing n number of women in the public gallery. said: “If they have any -elf. respect they will leave the ( ouri." Several women complied hilt others remained till cleared out hy an orderly. AVbcn the young man, who married deceased in hospital was giving evidence, Air. Schramm, counsel for the " defence, asked him why he had unmarried her sooner. Air. Justice Herdman reprove,! counsel for asking such questions, saying he should have some regard for the man's feelings. Mr. Schramm replied that witness was an accomplice in the charge being dealt with, but his Honor closed the incident hy remarking. "Vm, do ns I tell you." His Honor, in summing up. said the evidence had hardly been challenged. Except in one respect, the evidence was clear and definite, and be imagined that it would ierul the jury to one conclusion only. If it did ihnt. then public duty, which ihe jury was there to perform, required it to find a verdict oi guilty. Reviewing the evidence in regard to the question whether it -bowed that accused had performed ; h-- illegal operation. His Honor said that, in addition to the evidence of; the young woman (taken in -.h-'epitaq, there was very frank and candid evidence given by the young man ft. who subsequently became her hue 1 band. The technical point had been M raised that the girl and the mar, ” were accomplices of accused, but there was a substantial body of evidence to corroborate that given ’ey them. Referring to the evidence the detectives who arrested accused. his Honor said he had tried many cases throughout New Zealand, bur he doubted if in any other there had been such shocking and extraordinary evidence as had been giver, in the Court of this trial. He put it to the jury whether accused’s conduct upon her arrest had not been such as would suggest that she hr,a committed the offence the circumstances oi which were being investigated by the police. . The jury, alter a retirement of r little more than an hour and. :i----ha.lf. returned with a verdi<-: -u guilty. His Honor: I agree entirelv with your verdict, gentlemen. I do not see that you could have conic- -n any other conclusion in this case. Prisoner was remanded for sentence until Wednesday.