District. Court.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 28 October 1890, Page 2

District. Court.

WEDNESDAY, 22nd OCTOBER. (Bofpr-j District Judge Kettle.) CIVIL CASES. A. McEwhi v Andrew River?, claim £100 tor s dnction of p ninf iff s daiiiiliter. Mr Baker f r plaintiff, M. F'tzhevbert lor defendant. Thu fbllowi •■■" jury was emp.me led : — Messrs T. W. Stace, I foreman), M. O'Connor, W. Beck, and J. Naune ttd. The plaintiff (the father), S irah Mo wen (the daiuhter), Alary Ann McEw<n(!he mothe-j, and Ernest Larcomb brother in law of rieimdtni, wer • 'Xamnicd f r the plaintiff, and E. Rivers, f jr the defi-nce. The ca^e is a ■ articularly u'for!umt^o e, a» the pliiutiff is coniected with the oldest settlers in this di>trict The evidtmco is not necessnry to reproduce, an i th ■ jury, after about tW' nty niinut s .ie'ibe at on b ought in a verdict f>r i-l.intiff for £9 9s, .i d co*tN, £9 8s 6d The Judge's summing im is worthy of parent's atienion. Hs ' onor -aid that iu this cas- p aiMtiff sued UK! del ndant ior £10 > damages for e-lnc.ition ol hi daugliter. This w>s ot a case in wh ch a m dest giil sune into ■'• urt aid stitel tint und ra proini.-o of matrimony >he uad I een s ducf'l. Under the cirumsaucesof thin cme, ho thought b-f re th - action was brought the parents should have mad -\ some en.jui ies a- to the r daughter's char cer b fore she had bt.-co-ne intini te with thp defendant From f ha girl s own statement nlie had not been ißked liy her p.iren s as to her previous conduct. Under an Act of 18s7 a f tuer may ho co upelled to aiippo't. his irhi d, an 1 also pay incidental expensns ,t the time of 'he birth of the child. Me warned tho jury of thia, and naid before bring ng his acuon and subjec ing the grl to s ch ;in examination, it would have b en better to have arranged in tt^rs y the payment of s • much pai week The whole matter for onsidetation is one of damages for seduction, which has be mi ad ittcd, and -11 would agree with him th ,t one wus as bad as the other. Dhf, nlmt is a verv yuin^ man, but ou.^lit to k iow better. The girl ia ! not. a v ry un»deßt o ie, and it appears qu te true tha her par-nts did n it kn >w of her previous ch-irao- j I ter, and all wmll agree with h m i.i Byrapuli -iti^ wth them In the cuse ■ f larg' f.nni ie- it w s hard to watch every chi d. VVlie i a man -ent his dang iter to s rvic he shouM ' see lifer em iloverH were proper person^ ,aud that they woulj

act towards her as pa'e-vts. In this co'-ny yiu g people get together and are engage » t» b • tua ried at a v«r> e.ry ;ig.- otio' 8 i e the present one slmu d not be en • ooui'Mgo Iby juruß, > xci j pi where a vou g man gets engaged t a modest y nng uirl, and under the gu se of inini.ge 8- fill'- s her. Money ou d ""t in a case • f thi ki d n» * u: into pla ntilfs pck t. Defendin was not in a gnod p sition, a^d o <th s>d sof.he qu • • tioij shou d b« ; nsi'lered It would I" 9 left for the jury t» jisS'-ss he oaiiMgd^, th« m amount claimed being £100.