“Sons Struck Me During Seance.”

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 37, 13 February 1937, Page 3

“Sons Struck Me During Seance.”

Threo sons walked into a spiritualist chapel. They locked the door; “Sit down!” they shouted to their mother. One struck her; another talked of “hypocrisy and lies.” Thus the seance ended.

That was the story outlined to Kingston (England) magistrates by Mr Lefroy Owen, representing Mrs Marian Hill, of Wellington crescent, New Malden, who had taken out summonses against her throe sons.

Tho sons, George Packman, of Rose-bery-road, Norbiton; Arthur Packman, of Hanworth road, HanwoKh; and Jack Hill, of Thrigby road, Chessington, were charged with assaulting and threatening their mother. Tho summonses were dismissed.

The chapel, a small affair, said Mr. Owen, was in the yard of Mrs Hill’s house. On Sunday, November 8, just a* those present were about to sing “Nearer, my God, to Thee,” Mrs Hill hear a scuffle. Her three sons pushed their way in. George (the eldest) ordered hor to sit down and told her that they had had enough of her. He hit her in the mouth, added Mr. Owen. She tried to leave, but George, "worst of the three,” kept pushing her back into her chair.

Answering Mr E. Cobbing (defending) Mrs Hill said the sons came in with a notice from her husband for her to quit the premises. George Packman explained that he weut to the chapel sojely to read a notice to quit from his step-father. Ho did not strike or threaten his mother. Neither did his two brothers.

He was going to read the notice when Mrs Hill became very excited and tried to turn out tho light. He put up his hand to stop her.

George agreed, however, that he called her a hypocrite, and added that the chapel was originally a workshop.

Mr Owen thought tho room looked more like a chapel than a workshop, for there were ‘‘purple strips around the pillars, and a Bible.” Arthur Packman denied the assault. At this point tho magistrates dismissed all tho summonses.