A FOUL FIEND.

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 4

A FOUL FIEND.

A DIRTY, DISGUSTING BRUTE.

Humphries' Nameless Offence.

A Sentence of Three Years.

Sex mania is probably a disease that will be. treated medically m the years to come, but now-a-days society has to be protected from the unnatural appetite of the perverted brute, and our gaols yearn .to receive such individuals. Robert Humphries is an aged, white-haired bottle-o, who, sixteen months ago, committed an indecent assault on a child of six years living m Penrose-avenue, Wellington. The date of the occurrence was July 2, 1906, and the mother was out at the time. Arraigned before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Humphries pleaded not guilty, and was undefended. The principal evidence was that of the child, who was placed on a chair, and cried bitterly when questioned, but the paternal and reassuring tone of Crown Prosecutor Myers restored the youngster to cheerfulness, and she gave her testimony with minute attention to detail. The inhuman monster took hpr into an outhpuse, and. there committed the disgusting act, which, however, was not attended by physical injury to "the child. A sister, aged ten, stated- that on the same date Humphries promistd to give her a silk dress and a shilling if she would let him commit a similar act on her, but she refused, and the hoary-headed reprobate took hei younger sister on his knee, and she told him to let her sister down, and then ran out of the room, calling him "A DIRTY PIG." It was not until the following day that her little sister told her what had taken place, and she, m turn, told her mother. A brother, aged 13, testified that as lie was going to school, he saw " Humphries leading the child to the back premises. The sexual fiend remained on . the prem- ' ises until the mother returned, and actually had his mid-day meal m the house. It appears thalT the family befriended him to the extent of offering Mm shelter if turned out of Wickham's, where he had not been paying up, although James McGrath, a laborer, didn't favor the proposal. When Mrs McGrath heard what had happened to the children, she was naturally very angry, and wreaked her displeasure on Humphries on the following day. She asked him, "What game 1 is this you are playing ?" He retorted, "What game ?" She replied, "With the child ?" He didn't reply, but rose to go, and m her exasperation the woman struck him with violence.

"Did you send me for

«• Accused : beer ?— No

Who was the woman who was there ?— There was no woman. And (with scorn) you always say, "God help me," and bless yourself, don't you ? • • After this interview with Mrs McGxath, Humphries disapDeared, and was not discovered until recently m Dannevirke, where he was arrested by Constable Curtin. He denied being Humphries, and said he had never been m Wellington m his life. His correct" name was Hall, he said. , . ; .

His ' Honor (Judge Cooper) : Do you wish to go into the witness-box? —No, sir.

Then you may address the jury,— Well, I'm not educated enough to talk to these learned gentlemen.

Oh, . talk m you own. ordinary way. Accused : Gentlemen of the jury, I am not guilty. The woman has a prejudice against me. That is all I have to say.

. His Honor addressed the jury very briefly, remarked that unfortunately these sexual cases were not infrequent. He held. that the statement that the proceedings were prompted by the ill-will of the mother , was no_t borne out by fact, as they had evidence .that the woman had treated Humphries well, and had even .offered to take him m when he was m danger of lo»sing his home. :

The jury returned . A VERDICT OF GUILTY,

without leaving the box

The face of Humphries seemed familiar to JudgG Coopel', who found, on questioning him, that he had received two years' m Palmerston North for arson.

"What is -jjour age?"-, he asked. — Sixty-three, just turned. -

His Honor remarked that he must take steps to prevent accused frorh^ interfering l with 'young children. He would make him the subject of an indeterminate sentence, but, unfortur nately, he had not the power. Humphries would be sent to prison, where he would be well cared for, for a period of three years, with hard labor. The retirement would be the best thing for accused and for society. ; V