"WEST'S PICTURES."

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 4

"WEST'S PICTURES."

THE BITER BADLY BIT. Prurient-minded Amateur Photographer

Gets His Proper Deserts. He is Thrashed and Convicted. Sent to Gaol WJilwut a f iftc. The exhibition of prurient photographs is wU-h • soure people a mania, denoting a diseased mind, and the possessor of a diseased mind m capable of anything iv ihe way oi sexual sin. One of these 'alleged maniacs ("and tliei murdered. schoolmaster.'. • Remiic, of PaPaii'ai© was another of them) came be* ore Dr. McArlhm, S.M., at the jVlagLstrate's Court- yesj texday afternoon, ;ijul w,as convicted | of having exhibited an obscene photograph to a cit-v barmaid. , ' ■ . THE DIRTY SKUNK, > WHO IS A GERMAN, a steward by occupation, is named William. West, and on t-h-3 day of the - commission pi the offence wks e-n^^ ployed at thy hoiel where the' AtiuMr . ed young- jjidy... was. , engaged. '\,jr" . / West pleaded, hot' feuiijiy.V^ftac 7 was . defended by Mil Wilford: •" - : <f. ; ■ The picture v/aJ? a representation, of the accusfd himself, nakc/ except; ic* - . a collar atvd Ivy and a nAir 0f.,/ieltfglasscs slung from Iheyfack.^alid to show; it to a rrs!)pt;tg.blu y.oiing wt»-. , * man was nothing sfro/t, .of^jah ,yutrage. In that ligist,inale f/ie&ds til ' . the young lady took it. v " / . The younn; lady, Viu giving hoy evidence, said''ihit &Jb'B'--Rl;ew r W3i:t. who on ..January IS TCaß^e-mplpyed at tlvj . hotel :as porter/ Sjqoi*aftci- mid-day' on January l>, the" accused came to her. tar and,' gave Jjcr . tv/p rhotn- . graphs.' On/a previous morning he had, seen hwf m the bar with some fiovrers ajwf expressed a,, wish -to take her. photograph, ami .she consented to sit, but' th' 3 pictures, wore faiiure.s, and iiy endeavoring to' explain how he goiild not understand v.'h" the camera bad: failed he produced two ■photographs. One was himself m bis ordinary attire, the other w,as the ■xwie complained oi. She returned it "to him instantly saying that ' * ■' SHE WAS DISGUSTED . ami requesting not to bo insulted m such a manner again. West declami that he saw -nothing' wrong with ti«j photograph- as his young J&iiy had taten it m Auckland. Mr Wilford 's line of cross-exami- - nation was to endeavor to show that West had sakl that her photographs were spoiled by the eyes not comih'" 1 out distinctly and that he tendered his photograph (the one ci>n:plaiaadof '. included), bo show bow well the camera worked and that the laiiy bad looked at the picture complained of' put of curiosity. Witness went pu to say that she told a man named Broug'hall of ike accused's ■.. ..'■dastardly . action and v ii< seems that Brpu-ghall, with two oihers invaded West's room and gave him the. : father of. a hiding. It appears, moreover that Broughall had a previous knowledge of- the photograph and expressed the hope that she had not seen a certain one. Being informed that she had, Broughall and h-is friends then laid hands on West, whom Mr Wilford described as a strong man, a "disciple' of Sandovc«, to' some effect. Sergt. Lyons instituted the proceedings and stated that 'West complained to the police that he had been, assaulted and it was while making investigations into that matter 'that the officer became aware of what had earned him the /hiding and became possessed of the picture ; and deeming it obscene and indecent he prpoeeded against West. Mr Wilford cross-examined the witness, who maintained that the pic- • ture was objectionable and indecent. To the Sub-Inspector, Lyons said it was not a decent picture,, not one haying a moral efieot or one which he would give to any fcm ale or male . Mr Wilford said he had two defences : (1) that there was no exhibition, and, secondly, there was nothing indecent about it. Dr. McArthur : I. must say at "this stage that it is the . most 'disgusting picture I have come across. It is too brutally filthy to be described, even m a Police Court. Mr Wilford said that no two magistrates seemed to. hold similar opinions oh these kind of prosecutions, and counsel referred at length to the recent decisions of the ' Auckland magistrate, but Dr. McArthur again interrupted with "The Auckland Bench could hold no different opjnion Hhan I do I say the whole tendency o! this picture is more indecent than any other picture I have seen m my life:" Mr Wilford : I don't Imow what this ape 'is coming to, with these ultra Purity Brigades holding sway. Dr. McArthur : Well, no one can accuse me of hoMine; such opinions. Dr. McArthur flatly refused to look / at the picture m the light of an er.hibitipn of i student of physical culture. He would make an example and would not ejive the alternative of a. fine. The, accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Notice of anpeal was vixen. The accused was released, rendin* the appeal, on finding two approved sureties of £50 caoh.<