A RECTOR’S HONOR

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1928, Page 4

A RECTOR’S HONOR

GLOUCESTER, April 15. Women fighting for a mail’s honour provided a thriling battle at to-day’s into the allegations made against the Rev. Oswald Ernest Hayden, the Rector of Avening, Gloucestershire. As a display of feminine temperaments and as a clash of feminine wit no more dramatic spectacle perhaps has ever been seen in a law court rr staged in the theatre. The rcqtor had been charged on several counts. These include allegations of impropriety between him and Miss Nina Cliipp, a schoolmistress, and another of improper conduct towards Miss Lilian Sharpe, a parishioner. The last charge, was added to the indictment on the eve of the court, and was specified for the first time to-day.

Behind counsel sat. Colonel Ricardo tho principal complainant, a tall, white haired, soldierly man ; the rector, red faced and jolly-looking, who most <:; the time listened With his chin in hi' hands; his wile and Miss Chip;) to gether, hand in hand, and 100 spec tators.

Among those women predominated—women from Avening, who had come by motor-coach to Gloucester, 17 miles away, and who smiled and whispered during the evidence; and women from Gloucester, unconcerned personally in the case, who lined up in a queue for admission before the court opened, and who sat there through the six-hours hearing. There was even a woman at counsel’s table, Mrs E'arengey, the wile ol the rector's legal defender, who has been called recently to the Bar and who gave her husband advice during the case.

Five women were the principal witnesses to-day, two against and three for the rector. There was first Miss Sharpe, who opened the proceedings with sensational evidence.

A thin, pale blonde of medium height, she gave her age as 1)2, was dressed in a quiet fawn costume, looked attractive but unhappy, wept olteiv. and swore that once, six years ago, the rector, who had often kissed her, attempted indecency. His actual conduct, she declared in ail outburst of tears, she was too ashamed to describe thoroughly, hut she wrote a statement which was handed to the court.

Under cross-examination she admitted that she never hold any one of this incident until this very day, and the suggestion of tlie defence made later was that, her mother having, it was alleged, died in an asylum she her,sell was imaginative and hysterical. The rector's evidence, given in clear tones, consisted of a complete denial of all the' charges. “I am absolutely innocent?’’ he declared emphatically.

Ho was followed by his. wife, a pleasant and still good-looking matron, tall ami buxom, well dressed in grey, with a serene and unwrinkled face, who with a calm smile gave her husband the highest of matrimonial certificates. Miss Nina Cliipp, tho central figure of this drama, then appeared. She proved to he an extremely good-looking youlig woman of medium height, fair, much prettier aud younger in appearance than her portraits in the newspapers would suggest. She was dressed with quief taste in a cinnamon-col-oured tailored costume with a shrimp pink, felt hat and sable mink fur tie.

She denied in general and in detail all the allegations concerning herself and the rector, and she secured a notable triumph when site said that wince the charges were made she had been examined by a doctor, who had furnished a certificate as to herself which was at the disposal of the court.