A HORRIBLE OHARGE.

NZ Truth, Issue 133, 17 August 1907, Page 5

A HORRIBLE OHARGE.

A GRAND-FATHER'S AWFUL CRIME.

Dyer the Debaucher of His

Grand-daughter.

A Sentence of Ten Years' Hard

Labor.

A' very pious, goody-^goady bunkum--ite has just been brought to the surface m Gforistchuroh. These puritanical coves who look to Heaven while they quietly prig from the plate, or seduce their womankind, or someone else's womankind, are of frequent happenings, and it is strange "that their dirty, diabolical crimes are worse than those who |are far purer

(Palmerston North.) This is plain Mister Billy Wood, A blacksmith he by trade Of fighting stuff he's made, He'd be m the Cabinet if he could. But that, of course, is understood, For any honest member would.

m body and thought but who lapse m a minor sort of way occasionally. These low-«down church people are perfect fiends • when ' they go off the moral track, and the sentences they often receive at the hands of a judge of the Supreme Court are only what they deserve. An individual at Christeh'ureh that has brought disgrace to himself and family, and brought his church into contempt, is one Edward Dyeri, an old sinner who has been OFFICIATING AT THE ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL m Cathedral Square for a great many years. He was verger, or something like that, andi Was a very handy man for a parson to have about his edifice. He was the incarnation of piety at all events, and was a model sort of old bloke to whom other worshippers and their kiddies might look up to. Dyer's ordinary occupation was messenger m the Loan and Mercantile office m Hereford-sitreet, and the charge against him is that he committed an offence on his grand-daughter, Ada Dyer, on or about March 16th last. The, girl, one is sorry to say, is only now thirteen and a-half years old, and is the daughter of Albert Dyer, draper, Lichfield-street.- In consequence of something the jrirl told her mother, the latter examined her, and called m Dr. Symes, who said that the child was ,four months m the family way. It 'appears that Dyer sen*, used to get the yougsrter to dust out the office every Saturday afternoon, giving her ihalf-a-crown a week, and it was on these occasions that he seduced her. March 16 was the last time that anything took plaoe. When the case came before Magistrate Bishop Chief 'Tec Chrystal asked the girl if she had ever told the accused of heir condition. She replied m the affirmative. "What did he reply ?" "He said I only had a cold. He also asked me NOT TO TELL" MY MOTHER." Questioned as to when the first happening of the kind took place the witness said that it was m October of last year. How frecpently ?— Every Saturday I went there. You must have known it was wrong ?— Yes. Had you 'been a good girl before ?— Yes. 'Tecs Connell and Kennedy arrested old Dyer, and stated that he admitted •having tampered three or four times with the girl. The prisoner told the Court that he would reserve his defencei, and he was sent for trial. On Wednesday, &X the Supreme Court. Edward- Dyer was charged with incest upon his grand-daughter, Ada Dyer. He pleaded guilty and handed m a statement to Mr Justice Chapman. When asked if he had anything further to say, tbje old brute said that he must have lost his reason.' He never would have done such a thing when m his senses. The Judge m passing sentence said : "Thds is the most painful, and at the same time the most shameful, case that it has ever been my lot to deal ' with, and nothing at all can palliate your conduct. This young child was m your case as a relative, firstly, by your son, by your son's wife, and by the child herself. You were of all persons the one whom anyone would suppose they, could trust with the care of this child You also had her m your employ, even if you were not her, relative, but as her employer I would still feel it my foounden duty to deal with you WITH GREAT SEVERITY. Now, the law has fixed a maximum sentence for a crime of this kind, and notwithstanddnig that you are a man advanced m years, I cannot find any reason why the maximum sentence '"lould not be imposed upon you, however painful it may be to me to inflict such a sentence upon a man of your years. You are ordered to be imprisoned for ten years with hard labor." .