A MASHER IN THE MESHES.

NZ Truth, Issue 140, 22 February 1908, Page 5

A MASHER IN THE MESHES.

GEORGE FORGESON'S FROLIC AND FOLLY, Emily Morrow's Maiden Modesty. CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED RAPE WITHDRAWN, Convicted of Assault by Kissing.

A fellow can't be too careful m his behavior to a strange girl, even though she permits him to put his arm round her waist and kiss her and looks at him with that encouraging gaze that the practised Lotha* rio knows too well. A Wellington young man. of twenty-two years named George Forgeson, who has also been known as Jorgensen, got into serious trouble on a recent Wednesday night through going a little too far with an unsophisticated maiden, whils there were people about. On Wednesday last the S.M. Court charge sheet contained an information against the too-eager wooer of attempting to commit rape oh a girl ■named Emily Morrow, but the police reduced the charge to one of common assault after giving due deliberation to the story of the maid. Emily is a wellimide, rosy-cheeked tartlet of eighteen, who wears, her hair down her back a«d looks more youthful than her age would indicate, She'is dairyfed. and comes from Dunedin. She came to 'Wellington 3 months ago, and at the time of the first sensational happening m her lifetime was residing with her mother m a right-of-way off Courtenay Place. Oh the evening iri^'ques'tion she left her home .at 8 o'clock for a constitutional, as she hadn't been feeling par- ! ticUlarly well. She went down Man-ners-street as far as Willis-street, then returned via Dixon-street. While m this thoroughfare the dreadful Forgeson came round the corner and caught her round the waist. "I see you are all alone." he remarked, "will you come for a walk ?" SHE DECLINED. WITH DIGNITY. "It's only nine o'clock." he urged, but she was firm on the subject. His arm still encircled her, and he pushed her down the street till he arrived at His Majesty's Theatre, where he asked her if she would come m and see the Royal Pictures. The audacity of this strange man annoyed her, an<J she refused with maidenly, modesty. "I couldn't go With a fellow I didn't know," she remarked to the Court. His arm .still encircled her slim Waist, 'and he dragged her down the street m the direction of her home, presumably m a brutal, manner. Arrived m the dark alley-way he had the temerity to kiss her. ''He kissed me twice,", said the girl, m reply to Sub-Inspector O'Donovan, "and I sang out, '•Mother !'" "I didn't want him to interfere with me," she added, with conviction. The brute then seized her and attempted to j throw her down. Again she called out, "Mother !" He carried her along the right-of-way and attempted to push her on to the pavement, m towards the yard. She repeated the) cry of "Mother !" as she caught j hold of the kitchen door-knob. Forgeson persisted m 'his unlawful conduct, and she' screamed out, whereupon her brother-in-law and . sister came downstairs, and the foiled ravisher took to his heels. He spent twenty minutes m the lane with her, and was attempting to put her :■ down most of the time. She couldn't get away as he held her tightly round the waist. She had never seen the obnoxious person before. ': In reply to Solicitor Jackson, who appeared for the defence, the girl said she was- quite sure she didn't go •down as far as Fuller's. The singular part of .his conduct was that when he came behind her he didn't say "Good evening" or "-Hullo," but just put his arm round . where he shouldn't. Did "you do anything to show .your objection? Did you cry out anything?—! didn't sing out anything, because I didn't want to create confusion. ' Did you say anything to him ?— I told him to go away. And still allowed him to keep his arm around your waist ?. Why didn't you .leave him ?—I couldm't ; he held me. v , Did you really object ?— Oh, yes. YOU OBJECTED SILENTLY t. -Yes. - ! . Were there plenty of people about ? j -Yes. > Why didn't you complain, to thenis? —I .didn't want to cause confusion. Which arm was around your waist-; you see he has two ?— (Silence). Magistrate Riddell : If you don't remember, say so.— l don't rememiber. Mr Jackson : How was ..he dragging you? Did you refuse to walk ?— Yes. You were resisting ?»— Yes. But you were not saying anything ? -No. • • Did he drag you all the.way along Courtenay Place to the passage Way ? -Yes. -Do you expect the Court to believe that ?— (Silence). I would suggest that you were just having a 'quiet flirtation with him ? —I never did. Were you down on the reclamation that evening ?— No. What did you do for twenty minutes m the alley-way; did you stand talking ?— Yes. What were you talking about? — ; (Pettishly) We were not talking. What were you doing— just wooing •?< \ —(Silence). What period of time elapsed be-r tween the two kisses ? — I don't know. What did you do when he kissed you first ? — I sang out to mother. Why did you not go away WHEN HE FIRST KISSED .YOU? —I couldn't get away. 'Did you try ?— When I tried to get aWay he went to knock me down. Did anyone pass down there wivileyou were there ?.-*-No. I suggest to you that you were m the lane . having a little flirtation with him. He put his arm round your waist, which is natural, and kissed you, which is not unusual, and you screamed when you heard .someone coming ?— No-, it was not that. You don't like being kissed ?— No. Sub-Inspector O'Donovan : How did he drag you ?— He had .his arm round my waist, and was walking beside me. His Worship : Was your back towards the house ?— We were both turned away,

Were your amis free ?— Yes. Mrs Maud Frances Tonkins Was ,m the house on the might of the occurrence, and recollected her sister Emily going out. She also heard a scream later at the bottom of the stairs, and recognised the voice of her sister. The girl cried, "Oh, mum, mum! Quick, quick!" When the girl entered the house, she. was excited and crying. She Was too excited to make a complaint immediately, hut did so later, when the bobby appeared with the culprit. Emily then remarked that ; FORGESON HAD FOLLOWED HER UP from Dixon-street. Mrs Tonkius didn't recollect her saying 'anything about being dragged up that thoroughfare. Constable Phillips testified that his attention was attracted by a scream, which came from the alleyway. Forgeson ran out of the right-^of-way, adjusting his clothes, it appeared to the peeler. The bobby asked. ."What's up?" and he replied. "Nothin?." but immediately bolted. The zealous constable started m pursuit, and overhauled his man. He returned with .him to the house, where h« interviewed the girl, who was m en excitable state., She told the jxeler that Forgeson had picked her up and was going to throw her down. This was. the case for the "prosecution, and Mr Jackson submitted that it was" a. trivial one. He would admit that to kiss a girl against her will constituted an assault, but m the present case the lady was a consenting party. ■" Her story' was an extremely improbable one, and counsel confessed he didn't think sha, knew what she was 'talking- about. ' Thft fact that the original charge had been reduced to. on? of. common assault was an admission; by. the 'police that any assault that .had taken place was by the consent of complainant. . Giving, •evidence m his own drff-nfce, George Fbrgesoja ,said he was a laborer and was m town 'm comnpnv with a friend on the night of. February 12. He -went, down to Fullers' alone shortly after nine o'clock, but didn't enter that popular house .of entertainment. ■'■■■■ Rather, there was another .attraction m the person .of Emily Morrow, whom he descried just, below the Theatre, m the direction of the wharf. Georjre remarked, defprentially, "Good night." He thought it was a girl he knew. The iadv was not offended, but returned ihn salutation. Forges-on asked, m bis most genteel maoneir, if she objected to him accompanying her, and she rep-lied m the negative, with maiden coyness. They proceeded down by the Post Office, then uo the shadowy reach ,of Victoria-street. Emily herself chose this route. Lone before this George had ventured his armi around her waist. AND WAS NOT REPULSED, and when they got to Victoria-street the opportunity was too good to be lost, so he kissed her. She didn't betray any displeasure at the salute, and accompanied her very recent acquaintance up into the seclusion of Faoish-street, emerging m Mannersstreet. They continued thence pa the way to her, home, through Coui-tenay-place, and he invited her to see the Royal Pictures at His Majesty's, but she declined. Perhaps she knew a nicer amusement awaited her. While passing through the populated parts of the route, Forgeson removj ed bis . hand from her waist, but resumed that pleasing occupation when they arrived at. the. lane opposite the girl's house. She didn't object ; she seemed to like it, and he kissed lier again. She didn't- scream, and they? stood there talkwig the usual silly. nothings. She- told him that she came from Dunedin, and he remarked! that it was an astoundma; coincidence but he camie from the city of porridge himself. They must have been standing m that alleyway fully) twenty-five minutes, and the intoxi- ■ cation of her breath as be clasped betto him, made him ; eloquent. . He kissed her. again. Someone came to the lane at this psychological moment, and looked m at them, where--. upon she " ~ screamed. -'Don't da that," he urged, but she ran from him and - screamed again. 'He followed -ber, and remarked, with anxiety, "You'Jl get me into trouble if you scream like that," but she yelled again. He could hear her people coming down, so he left, and was arrested as described by the : peeler. He didn't attempt to throw hen down, as stated, he hadnt dragged her along Courtenay-place, and they were never iii Dixon-street. The Sub-Inspector ' When? do you live ?— 155 Lambton-Quayf Whom did you mistake the young lady for at Fullers? :?-*£ givl named Nellie Spain. Where is she now ?— I think she's gone away." < • •' Magistrate Riddell : Is anything known about the accused ?— He served , three months' imprisonment for being illegally on premises'; that' is all that is known about him. His Worship remarked that m these cases it was necessa.'ry to have som« corro>y>rative evidence, and all hough the statements of the .srirl were nr-culiar-vthev were supported by tfce corroborative testimony of her sister and the constable. No doubt, to a certain extent, the sirl had wii hefrself to blame; she did not choose to sing out to passers-by and Fqr^pson was ENCOURAGED BY HER BEHAVIOUR. His Worship was inclined to the opinion that no assault was committed prior to entering the alleyway, but. he was convinced that at some tiino. while the coUple were m the lute the assault had taken place. He was not inclined to send the man to aaul m consideration of the fact that tho girl, to some extent, was to blame. I A fine of £5 was> imposed, m default. j2l days' imprisonment. Timo was ,*-<"f I given to' pay the sum oft m insfcaji?^ meats.. \