THE MARTIN CASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2791, 30 September 1924, Page 2

THE MARTIN CASE.

GIRL RETURNS TO HER MOTHER.

Auckland, September 29. Air 11. P. Richmond, solicitor for Mrs Martin, writes to the “Herald” that the position was not quite correctly stated on Saturday in reference to the conditions on which Miss Martin was advised to return home. Mr Richmond says Airs Martin was quite willing to allow her daughter complete freedom of religious thought, including even the attendance at a Roman Catholic church if she so desired. Only two conditions were insisted Oil. 'file first was that her daughter -liould, for 12 months, completely sever herself from the personal inliuence and attachment which had arisen in connection with her school life. This influence Mrs Alartin had grave reasons to believe was a powerful one. She considered her daughter could not possibly return to a normal state of mind while it persisted.

The second was Unit her daughter should not seek the instruction necessary before entering the Roman Catholic Church until she. had been at least a month with her mother. These conditions were recommended to tbe daughter as proper h.y Bishop Cleary, but the daughter could not. then see her way to accept any conditions restricting her intimate friendship with the lady to '•'hose intlnenee the mother objects. "My client’s cause of complaint," said Air Richmond, "is not against a change of faith, if that had come to her daughter at a proper time, and on a clear and reasoned judgment. Her complaint is against what she believes to have been the inltueneug of a schoolgirl’s mind, at first without the mother’s knowledge and later in direct opposition to her expressed wishes. A further cause of complaint is against those who kept secret from her mother her daughter’s whereabouts, causing her most intense and wearing anxiety." Mr Kielmumd says his client wishes to remove any impression that Bishop ('leary and bis counsel did not, at the recommend Mrs Martin’s conditions as entirely lair and proper. A later message states that Miss Alartiu returned to her mother early this afternoon. None of the principals in the ease desire to make any statement.

SCHOOL BOARD APPROACHED. Auckland, September 20. The (jrammar School's Board will “WdUUifctf inquiries. U»U> ihiuMartin case pu Wiyduestltiy.yseveral parents of pupds having appjWttolted it in regard Jp the Epsom School .connection with the case. ,