ITS THE USUAL THING

NZ Truth, Issue 1193, 11 October 1928, Page 4

ITS THE USUAL THING

Flappers Scathing Indictment Of Amorous Youth

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.)

A scathing Indictment of flapperdom and its devotees was made ijj Hazel Lilian May Cook, a seventeen-year-old girl, m Christchurch last week when she endeavored to harness the provisions of the law to George Henry Farmer, a Jockey, whom the police asked to be declared the father of Hazel's illegtti' mate son.

XX7HTLH professing entire innocence YV and inexperience m such matters,

the river bank near the footbridge by the hospital.

When her father approached Fanner about the matter be denied any knowledge of it.

Hazel unblushlngly informed the oourt that when she went for a walk with Farmer the "usual thing" happened, and In qualifying this statement at the request of Magistrate H. P. Lawry, she Implied that, to her knowledge, mlsconduot was the usual thing when a girl went out with a boy.

An application for an affiliation order against Farmer was brought by the police, but Farmer Btoutly denied paternity, and with Lawyer W. Tracy holding the reins, Farmer rode a winner all the way.

Hazel failed to bring sufficient proof to Justify the S.M. m saddling Farmer with the responsibility of keeping Hazel's youngster for the next sixteen years.

In the oourse of her evidence from the witness-box, the girl made one or two astounding allegations against the moral code of flapperdom and these were played on to some purpose by counsel for the defence-

A sallow-complexioned youngster, dressed In approved modern style, Hazel said she first got to know Farmer three or four years ago at North Beach, New Brighton.

A mutual friendship sprang up between them and frequently they were wont to stroll about together at nights.

Examination by the prosecuting sergeant extracted from the girl the fact that it would be m October, some time before her brother's birthday, whioh was on October 28, but she was very indefinite about the date.

Concerning the aotual night which

caused Hazel and

George to come to

court to determine

the paternity

the child,

the

girl Bald she and her eister, Kathleen, were walking m the vicinity of the corner of Cashel and High Streets on a Sunday night when they met Farmer and a mate of hia named Colin Shaw.

The hour waa only 8.30, too early for modern youth and ' maiden to be abed, or even wending their way In that direction, so the quartet hit the trail for the receptive shadows of the banks of the Avon.

They were sitting on the grass, and Hazel avowed that this was the first occasion on which Bhe had misconducted herself with anyone.

Senior-sergeant O'Hara: And what happened?

Hazel: Oh, the usual thing.

Magistrate Lawry: Has that happened to you before? Why do you say the usual thing?

Hazel: That is the usual thing when a girl goes out with a boy.

Is that your experience?

Hazel: Well, boys have tried before, but they have never had the chance.-

Following her experience on the river, bank, Hazel and her companion went home about 11.80, her sister and Shaw following a few yards away.

Two months later Hazel sai.d, she was alarmed to find that she was In a certain condition, but she did not tell Farmer about It.

On April 17 of this year, In the Essex Home, she gave birth to a premature male child.

Hazel was oonfldent and certain that no one but Farmer could be its father.

Having completed her story, Hazel embarked on a trying tune at the hands of Lawyer Tracy m whose hands Farmer entrusted his denial of Hazel's allegations.

To his first question, the girl replied that she and Farmer were sitting on

Her Moral Code

Counsel: Are you sure It was m October you were out with Farmer?— Yea, quite sure.

You were very indefinite about It a few minutes ago? — No reply.

But you must have been out with numbers of boys m your time, Mlsa Cook? — I have been out with others before -this occasion, but not for a long time before it.

"Who are these young fellows who have tried the usual thing on you as you call It? — No reply. Why do you say the usual thing took place ? — Because two or three others have tried.

Counsel: Why did you not tell Farmer about it? — I never thought about it.

Come, now, you girls ■who talk about this Bort of thing aa the usual thing must think about it when you find yourself m that condition? — No reply. The S.M.: Answer the question. Hazel: I knew he would argue the point about it so I did not tell him.

S.M.: How did you know? Hazel: Because I know two or three other girls who have been the same and they told me that's what woul.d. happen.

Counsel: And when did your mother first know of it?— When I took 111.

And what. did you tell her? — I said George Farmer was responsible.

Did she not ask you if you had been out with anyone else? — No. ■^ i_ This concluded

Hazel's effort In the paternity stakes, and she was followed by her

sister, Kathleen

- Victoria Cook, to all appearances an elder Bister, but according to her own statement, Hazel's junior by one year.

She detailed the Incidents of that night m support of her sister's story, but added that she and Shaw could not see Hazel and Farmer when they were sitting down.

Lawyer Tracy: Did you and your sister talk over things oh the way home? —No, she didn't say anything to me.

With a thick crop of red hair contrasting •strikingly with his blue double-breaster, Colin Stanley Shaw, said he was at present employed at Whitcombe ,and Tombs, m Christchurch. '

How he fixed the date of the meeting with the Cook girls was that George had a ride m the North Island on October 8, and it was about two weeks after that.

Though Shaw said he did not remember seeing a river anywhere that night (a poop compliment to

Christchurch's Avon) he had a dif-

fereni idea of the location from

that whioh the girls had given.

They had walked past the hospital, he said, and gone into Hagley Park Trhere they sat down.

Matron Pike, of the Essex Home, gave evidence of the arrival of a premature child at the home on April 17.

The girl had told witness that Farmer was the father of it.

„ An unsigned statement made by Farmer m September this year, was put In by Constable McKenzle.

In it, Farmer admitted being out with the girl ;a,nd that they had gone for a walk and sat down by the river, but that was the extent of the outing so far as Farmer was concerned.

Without hearing the case for the defence, the Magistrate dismissed the application on the grounds of there being insufficient proof.

S.M.