"ARE YOU ON A FUSS?"

NZ Truth, Issue 1194, 18 October 1928, Page 10

"ARE YOU ON A FUSS?"

Motorist Turned Headlights On Lovers In Garage

(Continued from page five) In reply to further questions, Pollard stated that Sunday, February 12, was the first occasion on which he had committed misconduct with Gladys. He fixed the date by an entry m his diary.

POUNSEL,: Why did you put it m your diary? — Because I was told that she ..'..'.. , ' • But that was as far as he went before Lawyer Tracy inter, jectfed with a request that he recite facts within th<j requirements of the court. . On February \2, Pollard said, he had been talking m the Square, Christchurch, to Gladys and Williams, prior i to. leaving on the last ti-ip for Kaiapoi. The conversation had been a bit on the "warm" side. After dropping thai country passengers on what is known m Kaiapoi as " the "round-the-block" trip, Pollard took the girl with him m the bus to the garage. Williams wus there washing down his car, while the garage proprietor and another man were also present "I asked Williams how long he was stopping and he re- . : • J plied: 'Why, are you On a fuss'?" ; Eventually Williams and the other two' men left the , garage, putting out . the lights, but a client — coming m later to get his car put — turned his headlights on.^o the bus,, to "see If htr could see anything," as defendant put ■it.' ■■ ' ' -„ . The following morning Pollard was "barracked" by the garage staff about the previous evening's incident. He did not spare his narrative for -a few piquant trimmings, mentioning that while he was endeavoring to per:suade Gladys, he suggested to her that Len. Pearce had been guilty of illicit relations with her. . According to Pollard, this remark surprised Gladys, who asked: "What do you know?" Nothing likely to have any bearing on the i. case transpired until two months later, when defendant met Gladys one night and she commence^ to cry. . At first' she said there was nothing wrong, but after much questioning she'

informed him that she was m trouble. "i" asked her who she was going to blame and she said: 'No one.' "A few nights later she told me. her people were becoming suspicious a,t home and that all the others had turned against her. I said I would help her any way I could arid I told her about the pills. v , "She said she had no money, so I gkve her £1 and told her to get them, as I did not know what they, cost. , "She told me, she had got some frorii, another girl friend who was m trouble, and had taken hot baths without any : ! "result. . ■ ; "When s,he told mo she was going to stay with her sister.-iri-law, I offered to drive her down and I went round to see her bccasibnally." . 'The S.M.: "What for?" Pollard: "Just to see what was what." I He went on to "W: that Gladys had never blamed him ,- until one night when he stayed with her m July... She kept repeating: "You . kn o w all [. -■ about it." . . ... Pbllarfr said he spent only two nights with Gladys at her ■■■sister-in-law's, hb'use... He was'asked to stay there. "Frank and his wife went to bed,' he explained, "and Gladys went to hei"room. I was- going .to sleep on the couch, until Gladys came out' and said: 'What arib you 'frightened about?' So I slepf with her. ' . : "After the child Avas born, I went to see her. She asked hie if we could still, be friends ana* could I lend her some money until she got some work to do." : Pollard denied that he ever offered her £4 a week; ; a3 slich would have been an' impossible contribution out of his salary of • £5. " . At that time, he. went on, he told her it would be impossible for him to, be the; father of her child, as it. was qnly flv4 months since he had first had; anything to do with her. It would, be impossible for a child to Hve at that age. Lawyer Woodheacl: "And what did she say?" - . \ Pollard; "She said: 'Well', this one is alive, anyhow." S.M.: "What do you know about children living at that age?" ; Pollard: , "Aw, I don't know." •The extraction of his story by his own counsel had been an ea^y matter for the defendant, but ( he faced «*: rigorous .. Questibning when Lawyer Tracy, started with his cross -examina-: tion on Gladys* behalf. Counsel: ; "You remember • when you

Gladys In Tears

Camge Episode

were first arrested, you said your defence was that you had only known the girl for five Or six months? You also said you wanted time to prove that you didn't know the girl? Now ydu admit you knew her m October laßt year? How do you explain that?"' Pollard mumbled something: about counsel being- mistaken, but otherwise offered no reply. • Lawyer Tracy: You are a man who has travelled a bit . . . and you ymnt us to believe the tale you haye put up? You — -the man who bought her pills, took her to another home when she was expecting;, a child, helped to put her bed up, visited her before and after she had her child, and even slept with her. What have you tb say to that? Why. did, you ever go back if you were not responsible for her condition?" •'Pollar d: "I really went back to ask her if it was true that ____________________ a certain event ■• ■ - • had occurred." S.SI.: If anyone else was responsible, why did you take a hand m it?— l dqii't know. : "Why Sid you not tell her to go to the man responsible for her condition?—l have never had any experience with girls like this before. Why did you put this entry m your diary? — It was the first time I was but with her and as she Was well known m Kaiapoi, I did it m case there was any trouble like this. The second time it occurred you made no entry, nor have you any entry of the first timte you took the other girl but? — No reply. . Lawyer . Tracy took up the running from the bench and severely castigated Pollard for his treatment of the girl. I put it tp you, Pollard, that the whole purpose of the defence is tb sling mud at the girl?— No. ' ] ' S.M.: She showed you her birth certificate ?-~YeB.

And is that why you got your solicitor to make an Insinuation against her [ character ?— No. Well, why did you do it?— |*o answer. .■'-'■■ Pollard concluded a gruelling ordeal by stating that he was at present out of work and Had jyo imrriediatV prospects qf finding ■ employment. He did not know what his movements were likely 'to be. ' He stopped down from the box \yith an aiix of some relief to listen to William "Williams, .known as "^illy," I'sp'eaking; his piece. ' . "Billy," a slim young man; with a prominent chin an<j Avearing the budge of the Manchester Unity &f Oddfellows, (spared a f e^y. smiles for Gladys as he told his story Of their car rides. ■ His' version of the. mannei*' m which the car was occupied differed in.vesy important details from thiat of Po'lard. Williams drove the car,, it appeared, while Pollard anq the two gjr.ls sat m the back seat. lawyer; - ' \Vobd- \-. \ head significantly closed, his examination at this pqlht, an action which drew frbm La-iyyer, Tracy the remark 'thit he, would "try and get some more fact's fi-6m fhfe witness." Williams, under cposs-e^aminatipn. said lie thqufjbt the garage incident would be m February ok March. .- . When he aske.d-Pbllard'J'if he was on a f iiss," he had a fair idea who was m the bus with him. - . ? Lawyer Tracy: Then tiifc r^lgtionship b«tyy,et>n Pollar^J and tyiss Hall Was such tjiat yov| vi/ene sportsman enough to leave them to it?— Qui.t^ so. ■ ; ■■'•■','"■ V - ■ v Williams further stated thai he never had Gladys m the frbn't seat with him. ■- ■■ ' ■ Without comment, Magistrate iya^rrj harnessed the ' maiivtenance of Giladyß' chtld to Poiiard, who was ordered tq find security to ih^ extent yf £100, \fi adtjitiqn tq iyajUng medical and legal 'expenses. ' ' . '. v