COUNTRY MAIDEN PAYS PRICE OF FOLLY
BELONGED TO THE MUSTARD CLUB, TOO . ' ■ ■ . \ . ■ • .■ . . .. ♦ ■ • ■ But Did Not Reply To Counsel's Suggestion That He Was A Rather Warm Young Fellow WHAT HAPPENED ON mH^^ .|-,..« nH .... n » m u...m,«.....i...m... ».. .....»., „,»„,„„„„„„„„„„«„„, , l i 1 ... l »i.mn ll nnnmm ll m l .in.m..< I .H i«m».miwmiti.iiimi»«..mimiun l mnmi^SSm!ill!nil!!^ |f (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.) , . ft DISSATISFIED WITH the humdrum monotony of a country life, craving for the shallow gaiety of the lj city's bright lights and attendant amusements, Evelyn Mary Bruhns left her home m Clyde to seek a more I eventful existence m Dunedin. , I She was but an innocent maid of fifteen years, yet she appeased her desire for adventure with the noise | and bustle of the city, the lambent lights and gay companionship. Pretty little "Molly" was a novice, though, i when it came to such worldly matters as men and moonlight meanderings. The price of her folly was shame. Ciii.~.itm,.— ...in.- ■i m ,mi.ii M i......»_— ,., 1,,...,.,.,............. i.ii-,....~ ...„.,„.. »■■..........«« ...,„.-.. .......j. ... ■ a_.......i._ _■..,..■■ —..—_- — ,i_l-i._. — T"i-Tiiniini mimwiiiui-uuu j '. ■■ ,„„-„„:„. mHiiMiuuiuiiranmumniuffliuiMuiimniiniiiinniiuiiniiiiniimminmiiniiumiiiiniuiiuniiiininiiiiiiiiumiiiiiunniiHiiinniiiii^^^ ,
b.UPPORTINO her application to O Magistrate Bundle to determine the paternity of her baby boy was the poignant story of the betrayal of a young country girl; ignorant of the untrustwprthiness of the promises and assurances of modern youth. Molly, a fresh-complexioned, fullfaced girl, was barely fifteen years of age when, ehe decided to hit out oh her own. account m the city. She had just turned sixteen when her baby was born ... The girl had secured a position as maidservant m a home at St. Clair m January of last year. She thoroughly enjoyed her change of environment and m the course of time had built around her a small circle of youthful friends. . Two months after her arrival she was introduced by a friend, Rose Keeley, to Dallas Trainor, a" handsome young man-about-town. On the . night of their introduction, Molly allowed .Trainor to escort her home. . . Under the balmy autumn sky Trainor whispered words of love to his new-found acquaintance, so Molly alleges, and they spent half an hour on the St. Clair beach before she went inside. During this period the girl declares that Trainor committed misconduct with her< — much against her wishes. To Lawyer Baylee, her counsel, Molly said at this time she was ignorant of the fundamental factors governing life. "A girl of fifteen knows nothing," iiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiimiinniiniiii
.remarked counsel, "but a boy of nineteen takes her out and teaches her a great djeal ..." , Lawyer Claude White: "puta the finishing touches on, like?" Molly went oh to say that prior to the incident at St. Clair, Trainor had promised to take her to the Wembley Club dance the fallowing Saturday night. . : Although she' objected to his conduct, she very much wanted to go to the dance, 30 she met him by arrangement with the intention of going there. Trainor, however, informed her that some of his friends had changed their minds about the dance. ■ He therefore took her for a stroll Jn Jubilee Park, where misconduct again took place; , "I did hot know where he was taking me to, i but he. promised not to touch me," Bald, the girl. Following this further . incident, Molly declined to meet Trainor again, telling -'him that he did not know how to treat a girl. ■ His answer, she said, tras that he had been out with other girls and done the same thing— and "nothing had ever happened." . . Molly saw Trainor at St. Kill da the next night and they chatted after the performance was over. ' He said he was going into camp lor a week and would be back m Dunedin on March 17, the night the Duke of York was due to arrive., ■ On St. Patrick's Day '■ she saw Trainor. again and he asked her if she. had. received a letter from him, which he had written from camp. He' stated that he had put an inquiry into the post office, as he did not want anyone else to see the letter. She subsequently found herself to be m a certain . condition. On January 20, at the Naseby . Hospital, a son was born to her. ; She had never been out with any 'other -young man under similar : circumstances and therefore ap-
plied for an affiliation order against , going to the dance, why did you not Trainor. leave him?— He asked me to go for a Under cross-examination, Molly said walk and I did not\ think he would she knew that what trainor had done to « c^ ™ c - . x tho^ht that I was.prewas wrong, but he had assured her pared for him and could keep my conthat nothing would happen. > tr0 _*- ' , . . , .. - ... - - Counsel: Have you ever visited u Pre £t red t0 riflk "Z 91 * a J> !t °L fl l n * Portobello and been out on launches? eh? ~ ? her *, wa £ 9» ' un - : He sald he : Y eß with other girls would not touch me. ■ Have you been out on the Iron "But you know what men's promises Duke?— l don't know it. are. dontyoU? Never been m cribs at Portobello? Lawyer Baylee: "She -knows now!" — No. Considerable. Importance was attachConcerning the incident at St. Clair, ed by the magistrate to Tralnor's deMolly informed counsel that she ire- sire to get his undelivered letter back sisted, but did not run away,, because into his possession, she could not escape. Leslie Smith, offlcer-ln-charge of the. She had atruggled throughout the investigation branch of the Dunedin comxnlßsion of the offence. Post Office, stated that Trainor had ■ She was annoyed with Trainor and made application to the postmaster at did not kiss him when they reaohed South Dunodln on March 17 for a letter (her home. - .... which he had postr Counsel: This .■>■■■ jed from the mili«ian had outraged -^ _- _ _ __, ' tary camp at Matayou. Why did you ( ruiln I\lnt nzrsifip rae . Otago Central, not, complain to \sUUIU. i VWt LjOLU/JC on March 13, 1927,, your mistress? — I ' •; . ■. to "MiBB ' M did not like to. . . Bruhnfi, 0/0 JiV9, You were so much m arms with him | Stenhouse, Croydon, St. Clair." The that you went out with him the fol- letter had not been found. lowing Saturday night?— l had prom- Lawyer Baylee proceeded to elatoorised to go with him to the dance. ate this point and oontended that The position is, then, that you want- Trainor's desire to regain possession ed to go to the dance with anyone who of the letter without anyone seeing it would pay for you? — YeSi indicated that the document contained She had tried to get Trainor's ad- a certain admission, dress from her girl friends, but had Lawyer White: "You cannot read gone to her sister's !place m Tapanui, suspicion into anything! ' There must and had not been -able to get m touch be proof. There is no more stript rule with him. ' In law than that complainant's story ■.•' , must be corroborated." ' <s Counsel: Where were you on the The girl's counsel called Trainor as night of the Duke of York's visit? a witness, to examine him concerning —With my girl friend. • s th e letter . ' ■ Trainor, dressed m a smart navy >Were you not In a taxi that night?— serge suit, said he was a plasterer ,No. .by occupation and resided m BroughWho else have y % ou acoused of being ton Street, South Dunedin. the father of your baby? — No one. He had written the girl from camp, Did you not accuse an old man Hv- but as she had ndt received the letter ing m Central OtagO?— No. he made inquiries at the Post Office for When you found Trainor was not it. : .',•'■ ' ( , iitiiMimmimiiifflMiHiimmMiniiiMnmmmlimiimfflimmiiwiinMiMtniii^^ iiiniiiilniiijnuuinmiiVnimM^
-„-.,-— — ' ' , B» linNmimniiimimiiinnmiimiimimaiwiiiMninimiS^^ He thought so little of the matter that ne had forgotten all about It until It was mentioned by the girl In Court. .' ■" ''..■■; ■ • • ■•; • Closely questioned by counsel, Tralnor denied ever having committed misconduct with the girl. , He had been to Jubilee Park, he said, but the girl's story of the visit to St. Clair was a fabrication. "My reason for not' going to the Wembley was that I was broke and did. not want her to know," Trainor stated. At this stage the magistrate interrogated defendant concerning the let-. , ter,-- ■ . ' ' ■ \ Did ttie girl tell you she had not received the letter?-— No. One of my friends told me casually the day I returned from camp. But how would your friends know that she had not received 'it? Bo you suggest seriously that you don't know who told you?— There was nothing much m the letter. "Well, why bother about it? Can you suggest to the court why you should make inquiries for it, if it was not important?' 1 ' • Trainor was at a loss to explain how he learned that Molly had not received his communication. . Lawyer Baylee: How did you sign it?— Oh, 'Tours m camp," or some- ■ thing like that. ' ■ ': Any crosses on it?— Yes. Was it your intention that they , should represent kisses? — Yes.;.Do you usually kiss girls when you have been out with them only twice? — Not always. "I see you have.; recently joined the Mustard Club," remarked counsel, in- ' umimmimmwimiimimmmmmmiiwimiiiiimmmiiiiniiimnmiiimmimi
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii dicating Trainor's badge. "A fairly warm young fellow, aren't you?" 'There was no reply. , '• , Why did you not go to the girl 'before you went to the Poet Office to inquire about the letter?— l don't know. Why were you so anxious that nobody should see it? — It was a personal letter for her and nobody else. Lawyer White submitted that there was no case fpr his client to answer, pointing' out the fact that there was a period of 822 days between the last occasion on which misconduct was alleged to have taken place and the birth, of the child. The absolute maximum allowed by law was 331 days, which was m a case of husband and wife. Counsel submitted that where such a tremendously extended period existed, the court must look at the case with a good deal of suspicion, ,as no medical evidence had been called to prove a delayed birth. Lawyer Baylee quoted authorities on similar cases' and reminded the court that the girl was only fifteen years of age at the time. The magistrate remarked that, he would take time to look up the authorities quoted by counsel. He commented In passing, on the divergency m medical and legal opinion on the matter. The defendant's case was a complete denial of the charges made by the girl. , The first he knew of the girl's plight, he asserted, was m February of this year, when a constable interviewed him at Waimate. ' He admitted then that he had been out with the. girl, but denied paternity. Trainor called Frank Warrington, Gordon Lane and his brother, William Trainor, each of whom stated that they had seen Molly about the city with boys. ■ : ■ ■ .. Lane said he had been keeping company with Molly's friend, Rose Keeley, but had "turned her down" because of the association of Jtose arid Molly with other boys. Magistrate Bundle reserved his decision. ;'■■'■','
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19280628.2.43
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
NZ Truth, Issue 1178, 28 June 1928, Page 8
Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,836COUNTRY MAIDEN PAYS PRICE OF FOLLY NZ Truth, Issue 1178, 28 June 1928, Page 8
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
See our copyright guide for information on how you may use this title.