Off THE LAST BUS BACK TO KAIAPOI!

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 5

Off THE LAST BUS BACK TO KAIAPOI!

Gladys Kept Such Late Hours With Dudley That She Found Herself Locked Out All Night

TRAGIC AWAKENING CAME WITH r THE ' GREY LIGHT OF DAWN

■ (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch .Representative.) . - •"'./.'■ "I am not coming to see you and your baby any more." These startling words from the lips of Dudley Pollard, a young Englishman, burned m the tars of Gladys May Udll 9 a youpg single woman, who, steadfast even m her hour of bitter. shame, attempted to grasp the full meaning of that fateful sentence. A promise of marriage, so that her child might be spared the stigma of illegitimate birth, had caused a wild hope to surge within her breast— to give the infant a name ana silence for ever the scandalmongers of the small township of Kaiapoi, who had openly professed an intimate knowledge of the girl's liaison With Rollard.

SHEDDING the gaiety of life, th« light-hearted abandon that ia ' pos- •• slble -only., to" care-free youtn, sue had sacrificed her honor, ultimately to he faced with a haunting dread—bitter disappointment and despair. He was a bus-driver, and, m return" for his company on occasional motor excursions, she poured, out her passionate affection. But to an indiscriminate degree. Iristead of finding the lasting treasure of happiness as she. had hoped,, she faced a world of shame. Their meetings were few, but romantic. When night trailed her garment o'er the ■. slumbering towrtship, they plighted their troth, loving unwisely and without thought of consequences.. Then came the clitnax-r-the burning knowledge that she was to become a mother. To her lover ahe turned for advice and' assistance! but the man m whom ehe had placed supreme trust and confidence, assumed the cloak of the betrayer. Even until her child was born, Gladys held grimly to the hope that Pollard would help her. The announcement of hie Intention to forsake her was the last straw. Her heart aflame with bitter indignation, incensed; with a passionate desire to give her child a name, she resolved to face the world and obtain a legal decree concerning the paternity of her baby. " So Gladys asked Magistrate H. P. L,a\wry for an affiliation order against Pollard. After a lengthy -hearing, m which the facts surrounding the case were ' exhaustively traversed, she was successful m her application. . A week before the hearihg, Pollard

After A Wedding

appeared' in' cotrtun^ier arrest; L».WyeiyW. Tracy (for the girl) explaining that this course had been -de^mpd advisable m vlfiw of the uncertain nature of defendant's movements m tne immediate future. ■• Pdllui-d's counsel, .^Lawyer Woodhead, was granted an adjournment xv allow him to'pr'epare a 'defence. Tho v.ih-n was accordingly; postponed for a week. . . Gladys, a tall, slim girl, neatly. 0 eased, told the story of her betrayal m a quiet, firm voice. She never flinched, when questioned by Pollard's counsel concerning her character and parentage. It whiles she was working at the Kiiiapoi woollen mills that she flrdt met defendant, who subsequently took a .position; as drivel' of. one of the motor-buses plying for hire between Kuiapbi arid the city. October 25, 1927, Gladys fixecj as the date of their first meeting. It was after a wedding, at which . Pollard was best man. In company, with "Billy" Williams and Claire Johnston, she went with Pollard for a drive .m a taxi. Williams was at the wheel. So far as she; could remember, she went out for another ride with him early m December. The meeting which had a more direct bearing on the case happened about December 18* , Gladys was m Christchurch for the evening and went home on Pollard's 1 bus. v ••■.;■■ When all the passengers had been dropped, she accompanied him m the bus, to the garage. . And there they stayed together. According to the girl* version, they ; were alone until the shadows of night , vanished with- the' advent of dawn. I^awyer ; Tracy: '"And- tell the court what took place m the garage."

Pollard's Advice

With some hesitation, Gladys said that this waa the first occasion on which she had "given m" to Pojlatfd. Misconduct occurred between them, the girl added, on several subsequent occasions, 'it always took place m the garage after thfey had Returned m the bus from the city. But late hours led to trouble for Gladys at home, where she had been reprimanded and, on one occasion locked out. It was m January that she first realized her condition. While She was out for a walk with Pollard on the night of February 12, she acquainted him with the fact that she was to becomeva mother. . • . ■ . "When I told him," the girt continued, "hie advised me to get some tablets- He wrote the name of them on a piece of paper and gave me the money (£1) to buy tKem." When counsel asked for the name of the chemist from whom she had made the purchase, Gladys dived into her handbag and ' produced a cash-register receipt for 12/6. She confessed that' she did not know anything about the tablets. '.'.- Though she took some of them, they did not have the desire^ effect. Late m June she arranged , with Pollard that she should approach her sister-in-law, who lived In Christ;chui'ch, to see if she could stay there until her child was born. "Pollard called for me with his car at my home and drove me to my eister-in-law's house at Marshland. "Soon after we got there, a Miss Lawson, who stayed with my people at Kaiapoi, arVived, and then my sister-in-law's father came with someone else, "with a bed which was set up m the spare room." : ' Shortly after Gladys took up residence with her s'ister-ih-law, Pdllarfj came to work m the city at Anderson's garage. For part of one week rie stayed at the house with Gladys. Lawyer Tracy: Where did he sleep ? — In the same room as me. With you?— Yes. I only tjtllowed him to because he told me we would get married and at his request I had sent tiway for my birth certificate. %rUt«ly» added tbat Pollard never

by stating that on the occasion of the first taxi drive, Williams took the wheel. She sat m tho back seat with Pollard and Glaire Johnston. Counsel: Wasn't Pollard's arm well and truly around Clujre Johnston's neck to give you and Williams a good chance?— No, Williams was m the front seat by himself. Have you been discussing this cast with Williams recently?— l have not. • I think that on another occasion your cousin, Delsie, went out with you, and she sat with Pollard while you were with Williams?— No, she wasn't allowed to sit with Pollard, as she was a yoi}ng girl and- knew nothing , about him. What did you know about him? — Nothing, but I was an. older girl than she. " ' ■ ■■;;■■■■ A host of irrelevant questions were put by counsel until he was chided by the bench .to come back to the point at issue. , Counsel: What, about the night you drove to the beach. Didn't you and Williams go among, the lupins?— No, it was a non*Btbp run round the beaches for an outing. Haven't you committed misconduct w|th other men ?— Not while I was goinjif with Pollard. , ''When was it then?" bbomed couth sel— and it Earned as though he had plunged his words into a silence that would never end! r After some hesitation the girl droop? Ed her head and stated m a low voice that it happened two ,years ago. " Counsel: And at that tiirne you were going with Leonard Pearce? — I wasn't going with hini.f J put it 'to you, Mifcs Hall; that you commenced misconduct with Pearce when • you were seventeen? — No,, I didn't! (indignantly). ; f I think Pearce left Kaiapoi some months ago?— Yes. •' ; After these occasions that you. , were out with ...Pollard?— His leaving had nothing to do with me. ■ Yes, but when lie left it was rumored

Wililams might have been washing his car, but she didn't see him. Counsel: Well, didn't you try to stop Pollard from misconducting himself with you? — I did raise an objection and asked him not to. Didn't you say that you were not a girl like that . . . and didn't he answer that you had done so for others and named Fearco?— No, he did ! not say anything of the'kind. I think the position is this: You go for a ride with him with one girl once, with another sirl twice, and then the" next time you go out you commit misconduct ' straight away? — Yes, that is so. Dealing with the tabloids purchased by the girl, Lawyer Woodhead asked for the name and suggested that they cost 12/6. While the girl Was diving m her bag for the tin, Lawyer Tracy interjected with the remark that it was quite evident Lawyar Woodhead's client knew all 4bdut it. ft Lawyer Woodhead (to the witness): pid you give him the change?— No, he told me to keep it. ■•.,.• •.. Is it not a fact that you have approached someone to say that you wet*e but with Pollard on December 17 or 18?— No, because I was not going with finyorie else at that time . . . only Pollard. How about Peter Claire?— That was twelve months before. Another prospective beau was mentioned by counsel (a name sounding like Geoff. Glblett), but Gladys said she had only been out with him occasionally. That was a long time ago." Been out with Harry Engrail ?— Yes. And Andy Richards ?— Yes, a good while ago. S.M.: ( :Do you suggest impropriety?" Lawyer Wppdhead: "Yes, sir." Continuing his, battery of questions, counsel asked' Gladys whether she had hot told Pollard that' she had something at home with which she could

"fix" herself upi, To this she gave an emphatic denial. Counsel: How many nights do you reckon Pollard slept with you while you were at your sister-in-law's place? — Four or five. . Not one or .two? — No. After an hour and a-quarter m the box, Gladys stepped down, apparently little the worse for her experience. Her place was taken by Matron Pike, of the Essex Home, who stated that the, girl had given birth to a premature male child on July 31 last. While she was m the home a main rang gp, giving the name of Pollard, asking after her. . The next witness on behalf of the girl was her sister-in-law, Margaret Hall, now living m Shirley Road, St. Albans. She deposed that Pollard brought the girl to her house and assisted to fit up the spare lied' for her. She'had found it necessary to procure another bed for Gladys, as her house had not been equipped witn sufficient furniture. During the first week m July, Pollard had lived with Gladys In the house. ; When the ohild^ was born,- witness went to the bus stand and told Pollard It was a boy. His only observation was: "Tell her she had better change the model." He intimated that he would be unable to see Gladys tnat week, but would "try and come round the following week." ' , • Under cross-examination, Mrs. Hall paid that Pollard's excuse for wanting the girl to. live with "witness was that Gladys did not* get on too well with her people at home..

"A Fvolish Mart'

Counsel: Did you invite Pollard to spend the night with Gladys? — No. But ypu made no effort to stop him, did you?— No. • In fact, you wanted him to for a purpose? — Oh, "no. Gladys told me they were getting married and that she had sent for her birth certificate. That is why I thought it would' be all right.. "But is it not a fact that she sent for her birth certificate to find out her real name? You know she is an Illegitimate child, don't you?" To this question, witness replied that she understood the purpose of sending for the certificate was so that the marriage license could be properly filled m. Counsel: Do you suggest that yog had no desire to keep Pollard with Gladys at your house? — None whatever. Interrogated by . the bench,' Lawyer! Woodhead stated that the defence relied for its corroboration on Pollard's visits to the girl before and after her child was born, yet Pollard could prove that he had been "invited by these people for a reason." S.M.: "But what, difference does It make if there was a trap?" Counsel: "It makes this difference — that instead 6? being the act of a guilty man, it was -that of a foolish man." . S.M.: "That's a hew idea!" Continuing his cr6ss-;examination, Lawyer Woodhead asked was it not arranged that the two women should sleep together and the two men likewise. Mrs. Hall replied that- tbjs was the original arrangement, but she declined'to wait tip all night to go to bed. -If Gladys had not told her that she was to be married - shortly to Pollard she would never have "countenanced the thing. •

Left Them Alone

Corroborative testimony was tendered by Annie Lawson, a young domestic, who stayed with Gladys' people at Kaiapoi. She knew that Gladys and Pollard were Keeping company and that the hours they kep,t were '"getting beyond the patienc,e of Gladys' father, who, on one occasion, had to arise at 2 o'clock m the morning to let his daughter m. As the result of her late hours, there was trouble m the family. After hearing corroborative evidsnct.from another unimportant witness, Lawyer Tracy closed his case, intimating that he would call no further withesses/in view ofthe many admissions the defence had made during crossexamination. „ Pollard, a fair, thick-set youth, with a sandy complexion and a faint Amerioan inflexion ;„ m his; speech, leaned indolently across the front of the box as he gave his. Version m an attempt to discredit the girl's story. Gladys was a frequent passenger on the bus, he said, and m that way he came to meet her. ' It wds she who issued the first .. invitation to him to go to a party. He accepted. ! Pollard's version of the way the seats were occupied, however, was that he and Claire Johnston occupied the front seiit, while "Billy" Williams arid Gladys •yvere m the back. „.-"We hatj arranged," he added confidingly, "that I should keep the front girl occupied so that what went on m th<§ back seat Avduld not be seen. . go I did." , ■-.'•■ Counsel: Did you see anything? — 1 never turned round.' Pollard stated that this would, be m October. Gn the • second occasion he was m Gladys 1 company, she occupied the front seat with Williams, who drove while Pollard was m the back With Delsie, Gladys 1 cousin. "We went for a drive somewhere— I forget where— rand Delsie and. I got out of the. car and walked away for, about a quarter of an hour, leaving Williams and Gladys alone. . "Delsie was only about fifteen, so I didn't have very . much to do with her," Pollard added. •' . . (Continued on paga 10.)

visited her while she was m the Essex | Home, but he called three times after she returned to her sister-in-laAv'fc place. ... - ! It was on the occasion of his third visit that he raised doubts concerning the child's paternity .a . "He never gave any reason,"' the girl said, "but he told me that he was hot coming to see me or the baby any rijorg, as the child was not his. "He would not say whose he thought }t was, but said he had heard that I had been out with other men, though he adnjitted that he did not know if that was true." < Gladys replied m the. negative to Lawyer Tracy's inquiry as to whether she had misconducted herself with other men. . Pollard had made no : arrangements, financial or otherwise, for either Gladys: or her child; but the girl said he had promised her £4 a week whether they were married or not. , The only money she had- receiv- ' ed from him wj»s . the £1 with which she bought the tablets and another £1 at a later date. A lengthy cross-examination by Lawyer Woodhead ensued, but apart from stiffening herself occasionally to withstand the allegations against' her character and conduct, the girl displayed no outward signs of stress. . She. replied to the opening question

around Kaiapoi that you were m a certain condition? — No reply. Do you know where he is now? No. And that' is why you are proceeding against Pollard? — No, Pearce had nothing to do with it. Up till Pearce left Kaiapoi, you were out with him every Wednesday and Saturday night?— l have been oijt with him, but not so often as twice a week. Is it not a fact that he asked you to marry him and. you said you would when you were old enough? — No, I was old enough. then, for I am twenty-three now. • Up till this, stage Lawyer Woodhead had been putting his questions rather confusingly, leaving the hidden purpose to be unravelled by the witness. He was advised by " the magistrate that if lie persisted m submitting his queries m such a hjggledyrpiggledy manner, he could not 'hope to receive sensible answers. Counsel: "All right, Miss Hall, we will start off from when you were seventeen." Lawyer Tracy: "No, , we. won't! You deal with sonietbing recent— say, within nine months — or something relevant to the case." Gladys continued by stating that when she went with Pollard to the garage she never saw anyone else I there. ' . ' . • . ' , :