IDA'S PLEA

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 5

IDA'S PLEA

"IN LOVE OR WAR"

MOTHER'S EVIDENCE

* Magistrate Rejects Her Claim

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.) When a young, single woman has to appeal to a magistrate to settle the paternity of her. child, it behoves her well to remember that m such cases -the judicial machinery' is guided by the gauges of corroborative evidence. THIS fact became known to Ida 1 Evelyn Halpin Seager, a young girl, of Parnell Road, Auckland, when she failed at the Auckland Magistrate's Court last week to, convince Magistrate McKean that Alfred Rupert Feast, a seaman on the S.S. "Marama," was the man responsible. For three-quarters of an hour the girl stood m the witness-box giving details her counsel, Lawyer Rose, considered the essentials of 'her claim, and answering questions from Lawyer R. Moody, who looked after the interests j of the defendant. V j She first met Feast m June last year and a friendship ensued that led — two months later — to his constant visits to her home, where she lived with her, widowed mother. During a period of ten months, said witness, misconduct had taken place. Further m her story, the girl said their friendship ceased about June of this year. They were "bad friends." "Why?" asked the S.M. "Because we had quarrelled, I suppose." "It's no good saying you suppose," said his worship impatiently. "I want to know why." The answer came with hesitation: "Well, we had quarrelled; m fact, we were always quarrelling." Ida and her mother had gone down on one occasion when the Marama was m port for the purpose of interviewing the defendant. , ' The mother was then m conver* sation with Feast, but witness did not hear what was said. Later m the day he came to . her home and m the course of conversation accused her of going out with other men. He had finally said that he would do his best for her and would act like a "white man."

To other questions by her counsel the girl replied that Feast had said he would do nothing until the child was born and if he was taken to court he would fight the case. » The only money she had received from him was 10/- last October. A letter was handed up to the bench, m which, among - other passages, defendant had written: <- "1 want to see if you |OV6 IH6 ■ • • Life is sweet, you know, either m love or war." Lawyer Moody: Have you ever accused anyone else of, being the father of your child?— No. Do you mean to say that neither your mother nor Mrs. Rickhard (a neighbor) knew what was going on twice a week m each of their houses? — Yes; mother had retired and Mrs. Rickhard was always out. To a searching inquiry concerning her relations with men before she met the defendant, Ida denied ■ that she had gone out with any boys with the exception of one occasion when she was fourteen years of age. She was then a school -girl. Counsel: Is it not a fact that defendant resented you going to dances?— Yes. And to your' going with other ' men and coming home' late? — No; I always went by myself and came home by myself. Who did you dance with the.n? — Well, whoever asked me to.

Counsel produced a four-paged letter which the girl had written to Feast. "I want you to peruse this letter and point out any passage where you have mentioned your condition to my client," he said. [ The girl deliberated carefully, but admitted that there was no intimation of her trouble. "I've gone to the pack, now, you see," read the letter. "It's all your ""fault, and if 1 had you to cheer me up I should be the happiest girl m the world." The girl's mother, an elderly woman, was called to substantiate the claim, but her memory was not very reliable. "An order cannot be made unless there is corroborative evidence," remarked Magistrate McKean without i calling upon the defendant. •"The plaintiff's evidence is m some respects very unsatisfactory .and she has contradicted herself. "The mother's evidence is also unsatisfactory and not corroborative; she has just introduced new blood into the story. , "I cannot make an order, but there is nothing to prevent further proceedings."