Meow,pscht! SHE HAD THE WOOD ON HENWOOD

NZ Truth, Issue 1183, 2 August 1928, Page 5

Meow, pscht!

SHE HAD THE WOOD ON HENWOOD

Only Simple Country Maiden, But Frances Had Heard That - Modern Saying: "Get Your Man!" LAWYERS ANSWER GIrOs"IETTER TO HER LOVER §| '■'.-.'.. : ..<.'■ ' • (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) jj | ON FINDING HERSELF about to become a mother, Frances Jeannie Morrison, of Maungatapere, a | | young woman of 28, who looked much younger, very naturally wrote to William Hilton Henwood, the young j I man whom she blamed for her predicament, asking him what he intended to do. I | But if there had been any sentiment between the young lovers before, Jeannie was quickly to discover | j that it was a thing of the past. The answer did not come from the young man who had been the recipient of ■ I her favors, but from his father's lawyers. And it Was very much to the point. I !lilllllllllll!!!ll!!!llll!l!!!P^ THE first letter,: dated January 20, corralled. He answered: "I can't re- . nic stated that when William came to togo to bed and leave you with their from Bannister and Lamb, solici- member. 1 thought no more about it." see her m a car it was not his father's father and mother?" asked Lawyer

tors, of Whangarei, informed the girl that Hemvood denied having m any way contributed to her trouble arid that he would defend any proceedings. The second legal screed, of February .4, informed her - that her letters to William had been passed on to the lawyers unopened;. . It continued: '.'We pointed ; out m our former letter that our client denies that he is responsible for your, condition and refuses either to marry you or pay any* expenses incidental to the child. "'; , "As for your threat to inform Mr. Henwood, we have to inform you that he is quite aware of the position and will do all m his power to prevent your foisting your child on to his son." That being, the state of things, Jeaririie had no alternative but to place the matter m the hands of a lawyer; ■"Under the guidance of Counsel Selwyn Clark 1 , she met William- in the Auckland Maintenance Court, where Magistrate Hunt- presided. -She asked that her former lover be adjudged the father of her child. Lawyer Bannister acted for William, who denied paternity. : Being placed m the witness-box, Jeannie spoke very softly, displaying no animation whatever when answering questions put. >to her, either . by.- her own counsel or the / ' defendant's. ' .. She told how she had known William for six years. In June, when she Jeannie -s Romance went to work 'for some folk named Lerinie, at Porotl, several miles out ol Whangarei, it became' more or less a custom for her to ride to see the young man at iris home on Sundays. . There she would have tea, and, after spending the evening with him, ride back to Poroti. ■' 7 ..'••' In August of last year there was a dance at Whangarei. Jeannie related how she rang up William and asked him to take her. He was not willing; he said it was too far. Instead, he came to see her at Lennie's, driving out m a car. He took her for a spin along the Whakatere road* about 8 p.m. ; Magistrate" Hunt asked the com~ ijlainant how she arrived at the date of their first amiable indiscretion. She ■ eplied that there was a dance at Maungatapu. on August 23; she rang iiim up aftenyards and met him. on August 24. Th^ls was the first occasion of any intimacy. On Tuesday, August 30, she rode m and stayed at Hen wood's for tea; they weve going to\a dance.. That afternoon there was further indiscretion. Then followed evidence as to a visit Jeannie paid, to the Henwoods dn Sunday, September 4. On this ocdasion, after ' tea, when they were m the house, she went to his bedroom. Others m the house, said the young woman, knew ,ttiey were there."What were the circumstances leading up to it?" 'asked Lawyer Clark. "He was reading m his room and I "went m," was the reply. Other Sundays followed, continued witness. ' '■ ' " ■; V .-.' "Then you found yourself m trouble, wrote to him and he denied it?" ■ '■ . i Hesitant Witness inquired the bench. This was answered m the affirmative. . Jeannie's lawyer handed up a letter to the bench. "Oh," observed his worship. , "She got a solicitor's letter m reply.". It was made known by Lawyer Clark that Jeannie had also received a letter from Mrs. Wharfe, defendant's sister. This was put m as corroboration. • That Gilbert Henry Wharf e, farmer, might give, his evidence before the interrogation of Jeannie went any. further, the girl stepped down for a whilfc and Gilbert took her place. He conceded that he knew both parties well; he knew that the letter from his ..wife referred to the defendant and the' paternity of the child. "When did you first know that she was m a certain condition?" asked Lawyer Clark. Gilbert replied:' "When she told my wife by letter." "Shortly after you discussed' it with the defendant?" Lawyer Clark Avas treading lightly. The witness was somewhat hesitant. "You did speak?" This, from the magistrate. "Yes," Gilbert admitted. Then he amended, his reply slightly: "I can't remember now." "You are here to tell the truth, the whole truth and . nothing but the truth," urged Magistrate Hunt. Turning, to Jeannie's lawyer, Gilbert replied? "It's m the letter, but I can't exactly remember.'' The magistrate asked: "You told your wife?" "Apparently," said witness. . . Lawyer Clark attempted to refresh Gilbert's failing memory with an ex-. tract from the letter: " 'I don"t think He's likely to marry you." . , But. witness' memory would not be .iiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiutimiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiliminiiiimiiiiimnimiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiii >n

A STOUT woman m the dock, ««'".. charged with stealing jumpers to the value of £4; the owner of the property glaring from the witness-box, answering the ques? tion of accused's solicitor; a court with .its ear a -cock, sensing the imminence of spiteful .retort ■■;.•-.. .. Counsel: "What size were they?" Owner, . meditatively, her' gaze nailed m the direction of the ac- ■ cused woman's generous proportions: "Out-'size." Counsel, suggestively: "Do you think they would fit accused.— a stout woman?" ' ■ •* ..-■•■ Owner, tartly: "They ought to." 4 She won. „ .-...•

Counsel Bannister then tried him with a few questions. Gilbert told his brother-in-law's lawyer .that he had never at any time heard William admit paternity of the child.

He did not remember William saying he had interviewed the young woman.. Lately he had heard that William denied it. ; No, he had never seen them out together — 6r m a car together.

Gilbert had been m the house the night .of the bed-

room incident; he J walked into the

Left With Family

room. The bedroom

door- was open. "Was the light shining?" inquired

. leged by the complainant to have taken place, Lawyer Bannister asked: "If he B&ys he was out delivering groceries at that time, what would you say?" • In her .very quiet and deliberate mariner, Jeannie replied: "I'd say he wasn't." ■,-.'... Examined as to the bedroom incident on the Sunday evening, the girl declared that the door was open at first;- there was no brother m bed m the same room. "Chick" was not In the room at all. ■

Lawyer Bannister; — r'Tm not sure." "Where was Miss Morrison?"— -"She was sitting on .tjje^bed." :- Other questions brought the answers that Jeannie was a visitor every Sunday; they did not go outside ev^ry Sunday, so far as witness saw, and they did not appear extra friendly. Then he added: "He (William) used to go to bed and leave her with the rest , of the family. I never saw him kiss her that I know of."

Gilbert having "strutted his piece,* complainant returned |to the witnessIJox to be cross-examined by defendant's lawyer. ■.■:.'

"The brother-in-law didn't say he was," interposed Magistrate Hunt. "Isn't it a fact that the boys used

Replying to various questions, Jean-

ALTHOUGH JOHN BUCKLEY is comparatively a youthful criminal, he is too cunning to, be caught unawares by the camera. He escaped from Mount Eden gaol, but was caught attempting to pawn stolen property m Wellington. He is' seen leaving the "Black Maria," m company with Detective McLennan," carrying suitcase. (See story on page 4.)

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nie stated that when William came to see her m a car it was not his father's car; it was not a motor -truck. •■■ . "Was it Mr. Webb's car?"— "l thinK it was. He didn't often come to see me from Webbs. Only once." "Was it a fully-developed child?" asked Lawyer Bannister. The girl answered: "Yes." '

"How do you account for it being three weeks short?"

Before she could answei\ Magistrate Hunt interjected: "Thirty days count nothing much one way or another. That's one of the defects of the Act." Referring to a certain • date when intimacy was al-

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to' go to bed and leave you with their father and mother?" asked Lawyer 'Bannister. "No," from the girl. j Questioned as to William's conduct, she said: "He showed me no affection when other people, were there.'.' They had never gone to a dance together. "You are very anxious to marry him?" smilingly asked William's champion. *^STot altogether-," was the replyj- "I'm/fond of him." ' "Haven't you told his sisters you're dying to marry him?" Jeannie. was quite candid: "If I had the chance, 1 suppose I would." , Briefly outlining his client's case, Lawyer Bannister stated that the defence was a complete denial. For three or four years,' he said, this girl had done everything possible to marry this boy. . „ Magistrate Hunt: "She deliberately got into trouble to make him .marry her?"' • • , "It looks like.it, sir," was the rejoinder. • ' William Hilton Henwood, aged 24, then took his place m the box. He gave the impression of being a •mentally alert young man, of medium height, clean-shaven and ; . neat. His occupation he gave as thatfof farming and some engineering. ; ■A book described as "a rough sort of diary" was produced. This, being examined, disclosed that William did not drive a car to Poroti on August 24, the first date alleged. • .• , "Dickson, six hours," said the diary. This, it was explained, was delivering* Did She Propose ? groceries m • a Ford ton-truck, He had gone; as he put' it, right past Poroti. Never had he been to Poroti to see Miss Morrison. He ...had. be.en working ; for Webb m October, but not .m that district. August 30 was again ' shown m the diary as delivering groceries for Dickson for three hours. Nq, William had never been out with Jeannie m the afternoon; never around the farm, either. "When did she first ask you to marry her?" asked La\yyer Bannister. "About two years ago," said William. But he couldn't say if it was once or several times, though it was long before she told him she was m trouble. ' . ' ' : The first intimation that Miss Morrison was m trouble, he said, was when he received a letter. V "Was there any letter from Miss Morrison to your sister? Did you see it?" asked his lawyer. William's answer was: "I'm not sure; I can't say.' 1 There had, however, he said, been no discussion with anyone about paternity of Miss Morrison's child. '"I kept, it to .myself." N . "Did you admit to Wharfe that you had been intimate . with Miss Morrison?" inquired LaAvyer Bannister. • • "I don't think so," said William. He then flatly denied that there had been any intimacy. ■'"'■''.'.".'•' "Miss Morrison," commenced: Lawyer Clark, "has the reputation of being somewhat simple?" William answere.d: "Yes." But he was not ashamed of being seen m her company. As for the letters he had received from Jeannie, he had not shown them to Gilbert Wharfe and had no reco.lBelieved Her Tale [lection of when he told hini about the affair. Later William added: "She pickad on me." He admitted that he knew of no one else whom he would susp9ct. ; Questioned again by. the bench, defondant said he had never found Jeannie lying; so far as he knew, she w,as honest and truthful. He was not going to say that ,he had heard of her running around with other boys. He . called' her "Jeannie". find she called him "Bill." Reverting to the . incident of the Sunday night m the bedroom, Lawyer Clark pressed him on the point and was told that William's brother-in-law had chased her out under instructions from "Dad." . r "How long was she m your .room? 1 ' queried the' lawyer. "Only a short' while," answered William, adding that — if he remembered rightly— he was m bed m his pyjamas. • Then defendant stepped down and Magistrate Hunt, with his introductory: "Well .' . „" gave his decision. One thing about 'this case, he said, was that there had not been the deliberate lying that distinguished some of the cases which came before him. "She's a simple girl and I believe, she's telling the truth. She's thrown herself at his head , and' he's fallen— and now he wants to get out of it. "In the face of the letter, of his sister and the evidence, of his brother-in-law, I'm satisfied I'm justified m makingiah order." , .' With that the bench adjudged William the father, and ordered him to pay 17/6 per .week,. 5/- of which represented, back payments for medical expenses; these totalled £12 12s. m all.