ARM IN ARM ONE SUMMER'S EVE

NZ Truth, Issue 1214, 7 March 1929, Page 3

ARM IN ARM ONE SUMMER'S EVE

But Was Richard Emmett The Man In The Case, or Merely An Innocent Companion In The Taxi-Jaunt Party?

GIRL'S STORY OF MOONLIGHT ROMANCE

(From "N.Z. Tryth's" Waihi Representative.)

Some men have a flare for the limelight— inadvertently or otherwise^ and Norman Emmett is one of them. A still tongue | niaketh a wise head, but this little axiom Emmett, it would seem, has failed to observe on more than one occasion; | Readers of "N.Z. Truth" will remember some twelve months ago, how, when- Emmett was holidaying m Sydney, out "vj of the kindness of his heart, and while letting his natural propensity for talking get the better of him, he advised a, demure | little lady of that capital to visit New Zealand. ... y/.r '■ v^ . ; 1

'"THERE are plenty of rich 'mugs' in i 1 New Zealand," Emmett told his I lady friend on this occasion, but subsequently, when she came to New Zealand in search of the "mugs," only to fall by the wayside, Emmett did not show up in too good a light. His brotherly advice was instanced as the cause of the young lady's downfall. Emmett has recently figured in another episode — this time in Waihi. After his jaunt in Sydney, Em - . . mett returned to New Zealand and opened up a billiard saloon in this mining town, where he proceeded to make himself a thoroughly good chap by entering into various "branches of sport. ( Last August, however, he deprived Not Out of Mind the citizens of Waihi of : his comradely spirit, departing to other cljmes. If he was out of sight, though, he was not "out of mind" by at least one person in the tbwn. . Although a married man there was one interlude in which Emmett allegedly figured with another lady other than his wife. A girl of 17 has told a magistrate that she has had cause to remember his sojourn to this historic neighborhood. .'■'.... In the Waihi Magistrate's Court recently, Emmett was called on summons to explain why he should not be adjudged the father of Ida- Brown's, illegitimate child. V f •■; Mr. F. W. Platts, S.M., adjudicated in the dispute. , , At the outset Mr. F. C. Clark, instructed by Mr. R. A; Singer, of Auckland, applied for an adjournment, but

1 this was opposed by the complainant's counsel, Mr. J. B. Beeche. The following day the case was proceeded with, the magistrate > having remarked that he had given Emmett an opportunity to appear, and he saw no reason why the case should not go on. In outlining the circumstances, Mr. Beeche said Miss Brown would, be 17 years of age on March 17. She was not what one would term a bright girl, but appeared to be of a somewhat simple nature. , Intimacy with Emmett had occurred only on one occasion, he alleged. Neatly attired, Ida Brown stepped into the witness-box and told the Court that early last March she was introduced* to Emmett by her sister while' on a trip into the town. Emmett proposed a motor drive and subsequently, m company with her sistex*, Emmett and the taxi driver, she journeyed out to the Waimata Hall some miles along the . Tauranga Road. Arm-in-arm with Emmett she proceeded, so she said, some distance into the scrub, and later they returned v .to

the taxi where her sister and the driver were still sitting. Back m Waihi, Emmett, according to the girl, wished to make an appointment for -the following night, but she declined and had not seen or spoken to him since. Miss Brown said that, on severaloccasions, she had seen Mrs. Emmett, on one of which the latter allegedly gave her a £10 note arid, asked her to sign a paper, which she did, although without reading it. The money was to be spent m necessary things for her approaching trouble. ; The mother of the girl, m detailing what she knew about her daughter's alleged association with Emrriett, 'said it was not until ..June, 1 that she became acquainted with the girl's condition. She interviewed, Emmett m his billiard-saloon,, but he refused to accept responsibility. , '■■■.' \> At* a later interview Mrs. Emmett, said the mother, suggested that she "(Mrs. Brown) should take the girl to Auckland where they would see what could' be done for her. At the same time she handed her £3/5/-, the cost of motor fares to the city:

llimilllllMimilllllFnilNlllUlllNimilllllinilllllinilinmiiinMniiuniiiiMMmir , The girl's father, however,-.- did not fall in with this idea and refused to allow his .daughter, to be taken away. -Mrs. Brown met the Emmetts as arranged, she told the Court. ■ > Vlt's a nice thing you have put us into how," Mrs.. Emmett said she told them,; and added that all arrangements had been made with a doctor and nurse. , : V Emmett, she said, remarked that, had he known, he would not . . have gone to such expense; > They ought, he- had said, to be ■ . only too pleased that hie had done what he had. He was not the father of the child. ' . ./■,-'.. 'vl:. : ;- Subsequent to this Mrs. Brown said she again received a call from Mrs. Order Is Made ■ ) ■■■■/.-- EJmmett who aeked her not to take the .matter to court. Mrs. "Emmett, she added, promised to give her £30 or £40 in August. V Corroborative evidence of the trip in" tlie car was given by Ida Brown's sifter. -. "■ •.'.• Leslie ■ William Graham, a postal official of Waihi, told the court he was in Emmett's saloon the nidrning following the memorable joy-ride. Em-' mett was inclined to talk too freely about his affairs and stated he had been intiriiate- with a young girl the night before. . ' ' Reviewing the evidence, Mr. Platts said there was no doubt in his mind that^ Emmett was .the father of the child. An affiliation order would be made, also an order' for maintenance at tl>e rate of 15/- per week. On behalf of Mr. Singer, Mr. Clark gave notice of appeal, security for which was fixed at thirty-five jfuin^as.