MAID AND MOTOR-CYCLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 2

MAID AND MOTOR-CYCLE

The Path of Illicit Love Leads But To The Court

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington' Representative.) (Vhere there is smoke there is generally fire. By the same token the spark of love, especially m the breast 6f romantic youth, soon breaks into flame of bitter aftefmath. Nor is there the reckoning of the aftermath. Youth Hoes m the joyirf the present, but the fruits of an illicit love bring a bitter experience and a sad awakening.

TTHIS is the story of a youth and a ■I maiden; the old, old story of Cupid met half-way, the blind abandon of the mushroom friendship and . . . Coming to the material. The youth had a motor-cycle. He was the modern young Lochinvar m many ways, handsome to look upon, a sparkling eye and a comfortable pillipn seat behind his machine. . . * She was a coy maiden of twenty summers. She loved the rush of the wind through her neatly trimmed locks, held m place by a neat model hat. Motor-cycle rides meant jaurits put into the open spaces, or a walk under the shining stars. Sometimes' they would be lost, but not m the maze of highways and byways. No, it was m the ecstasy of their love and that had only one ending. James Hetherington's meeting with the girl, Ivy Amelia Mary David, was a chance one. He took her for a run on the back of his motor-cycle. She thought it was all quite nice and proper. \ Now the girl is about to become a mother and last week she brought James along to the Wellington Maintenance Court before Magistrate Salmon. She petitioned the bench to have her erstwhile young swain adjudged the putative father of her unborn child. As her legal champion, Lawyer A. J. Mazengarb successfully guided Iyy m the narration of her sorry story, \vhile .Lawyer W. Brown tried his best to play the cards at his disposal m favor of James. , An attractive girl_of 21, Ivy A.M.D., was allowed to take a seat m /the witness-box during her evidence-in-chief and cross-examination. She told the bench she first met Hetherington on February 20 of this year. She had been introduced to him by a boy named Don Findlayson. Ivy was passionately fond of motor-cycles and cycles, and as Jim had 'one of the former she decided to cling to him. That night he took her for a run on his pillion along the Hutt Road. It was all so thrilling and romantic with the wind fanning her cheeks' and setting, the blood a- ' tingling, but it was all quite proper and correct. After that first momentous meeting Jim used to ; ... take her for a walk oi* come and sit with her on an. evening when her mistress was out. Yes, sometimes there were kisses and- cuddles, but it was not until about a month after their first meeting that' impropriety occurred between them. On three or four different Occasions, love held full sway between them, and then towards the', end of April, ivy discovered that all was not as it should be. „. .:;-, ;.. ;."-; : : ; : :..;.: On May 5, she met Jini.:in..the ci|y and told him of the trouble, that had come to her. He told her it was all right as he would do what he could. His assistance 'took the form of directing her to a chemist where he told her to ask for some Spills. ' ' The bench (to witness): How did you know what to ask for? — He told me to tell the person m the shop that I was m trouble. Continuing her evidence Ivy said- the pills made her sick; she only took two. On the following Wednesday, Ivy met Jim by appointment near. Tasman Street. She brought a man , named Henman along wjth her. The latter asked Hetherington if he knew she was m trouble and if so what was he going to do about it. The lad Ivy claimed as the. putative father of her unborn child is alleged to have said he did and that he would ! do what he could for the girl. j They discussed the whole matter while sitting m Henman's bach m Adelaide Road. Henman, she explained, was a friend of her father and used to play cards with him. On the way to the bach, Jim had asked her to Write him a letter saying he Was hot responsible for her condition. She refused. When near Douglas Street, he 'asked to speak to her alone and when the request was granted, wanted to know if she would get some stuff m a bottle. She was not aware to what he referred, but the cost w.puld be £1/1/-. If this was not satisfactory, she said Jim volunteered to take her to some woman. On a later occasion when she x-ang him on the 'phone, Hetherington had left" and she had not seen him from that day until he appeared m court. • Under cross-examination from Lawyer Brown, Ivy said she did not know Jim was only 18. She understood, he was twenty. . Counsel: Do you know you are the first girl he bas taken out? : — He has told me" differently. You are fond of motor- cycling; you used to go for rides with different boys? — I never went with anyone I didn't know. You used to go to cycle sports; who was the cycle rider you were interested in?— Joe W -. Dicl you go out. with him?— l did before I met Hetherington. You sometimes asked defendant to bring a boy friend ?— He said he did not like going out on his own and s&id if T brought a girl he would bring another boy. Ivy admitted to counsel that she knew two or three motor-cycle boys. Concerning the intimacy between herself and Hetherington, witness said up to the end of March there was none. Counsel: You met a boy named Phillips some three weeks after becoming acquainted with defendant? — Yes.) ; •-.:■■ : ••• .."■■.■■ You went out with him?— Yes. When did these so-called acts of intimacy between you and Hetherington take place ?— Some time between; the end of March atid the beginning of May. Ivy was very vague concerning dates and times, but she was definite on this point. I take it this was an important bc^ casion to you— an act of intimacy? — (demurely) Yes. " And you* cannot remember- the date ? Ivy did not reply. Is this the first time you have been intimate with anyone ? — Yes. Have you ever had any other boys up at the place where you were workr ing? — No; You know a Fred Young?— Yes. . Didn't you have him up to the house? —No, He took me up there one morning on his bike when I was late for work. : , Did he ever take* you to Fullers' or a dance? — No. ' And you have not been out With him at night on his cycle?— No. . When was it you came back anc^ said you were finished with Jim?— l don't remember having ever said it.

In Hehman 5 Bach

Too Many Friends

Referring to defendant's meeting with Henman, Ivy said she did not introduce the latter as her cousin. ! Counsel: When did you first meet Henman? — Some time m, April or May. And on May 9 you knew him sufficiently well to tell him of your trouble. I believe Henman has arranged for your confinement? — No.- . Did he give you that fur coat?— No. . Well, did you earn it?— No. Did your father give it to you? — No. Well, where did you get it from?— After a long pause and with the faintest glimmer of a smile, Ivy said: "It doesn't belong to me." When did you tell your father of your trouble? — About a month ago. Was it not natural to tell him? — No. And yet you tell Henman all about it? — Others knew about it, too; Concerning her affections for Jim, Ivy said she may have been fond of him once for a while. Counsel: I put it to you Miss David you have been intimate with other boys? — I have not. - I put it to you this is just a concocted story against Hetherlngton?— I am telling the truth. . "Don't you remember the row you had with Jim," said counsel, tacking again, "when you said you had finished with him?" "No boy is worth rowing over," said Ivy. Re-examined by her* own counsel, Ivy said Henman asked her if she was m trouble. The bench: How old is Henman? — Twenty. . . . You say he asked you if you were m trouble? — Yes. How long had you known him?--I don't know exactly. But. when William Henman, who described himself as a showman, stepped into the box, he threw a certain amount of light on the point. ' He said he first came to Wellington on May 15, so it is rather problematical when the -girl, first made his acquaintance. He said it was at least a fortnight after his arrival. He met her at her father's house, although before that he had said good-day to the girl. The lady at the back of his bach' told him something about Ivy; said the girl appeared to have something on her rain^ As he was .■■•••■ going out with her at the time he thought he had better know. She.would not tell him at first but when ho persisted m his questioning she told him. . . Henman detailed the meeting with Hetherington at the steps near the Tramway Hotel. He asked * defendant what he was going to do for : the girl as he' got her into trouble. Hetherington had admitted the soft - impeachment. The discussion took\'place m his bach, ■:. .>• ,■/. ,-i -■ ■■; .'.■■•■■_ -.' .-''tinder the, fire, of cross-examination, jH&riman said he came from Christ - ' church on iyiay 15, "where he had been working on a merry-go-round. He met the girl before he met the father, but had not been out with her prior to that. ' 'The neighbor . told him Ivy had •something, on .her mind, c Lawyer Brown: So you made it your business to find oiit? — I was going out with her and wanted to know. You have experience of girls? : — Not exactly, but I didn't want to be caught. Exactly, you didn't want to be eaueht. v When you met Hetherlngton you 4id all the talking?— l did and I didn't. ; You are very innocent: about these chemists' requisltes'?-r*-rve neve)* seen them m my life but once. Wasn't this a put-up job between you and Ivy?— Not on your life, and Henman stepped down from the box the personification of frankness and confidence. James Hetherington, a young grocer's assistant, ill at ease, gave his evidence m a rather spasmodic manner. He said he first met the girl on February 20, being. introduced to her by Findlayr son. He took her for a ride as far as Kaiwarra and then home. He had only been out with the girl on four or five occasions and nfever onoe had he misconducted himself with her. He had walked round town with her but never stopped of an evening at the place where she was working while the girl's mistress was but. Ivy. had a bug for motor-bikes and cycles and used to stop at all the cyjcle shops, they passed, Ss»e also filled m a great portion of her time ringing him oh the 'phone. With Phillips and another girl he had gone out "with Ivy, meeting the girls at Courtenay i-Mae*. Tbp girl w-is persistently stop^ ping and speaking to Uoys. She seemed to be well known about the town and he decided to drop her. Monday, March 26, was the last occasion when he saw her, when he was introduced to Henman. There had been no mention about his being the putative father of her, child. Lawyer Brown : What about the girl's place where she worked?— l kno\v nothing- about that; I've never been there. . Were you keen on this girl? — No, not at all. . . What was' your attitude towards her? — Very slow, as she remarked. To Lawyer Mazengarb, defendant said he had never been m any place where anything untoward might take place. On the night she met him at the shop she did not mention anything to him. Counsel: Can you suggest why she should pick on you?— lt's very doubtful She had too mahy boy friends, witness said, so he came to the conclusion that he had better get out of it. Hetherington was very certain about his times and date? and said it was a deliberate lie about him going tc Henmaiv's bach. He "did meet ■Henman and the girl on the niffht m March but it was quite accidental. Moreover he made no mention of drugs; he knew nothing of them or their ;, prices. '■ Th£ bench: When did you first become acquainted with her condition?— When the 4 constable came to the hou.se . How long is it since you have seer her?-r^-Five or six montlis. When did the relationship of going out together cease ?r— On March 2'( when she came to the shop. Lawyer Brown called the late mistress of Ivy, who said the girl was inclined to be loquacious about hei? boy < friends. Sh°e remembered her talking about Jim and Bunny. • < Further evidence was called for thedefendant, but the bench said that m the main he believed the girl's story therefore he must adjudge defendant the putative father of the. child. Defendant's solicitor, however, might consider the matter worth testing ir a higher, court and he accordingly fixed security for appeal at ten guineas.