"Her Evidence Is Really Negligible; ... Treat Her As Hostile"

NZ Truth, Issue 1216, 21 March 1929, Page 7

"Her Evidence Is Really Negligible; .. . Treat Her As Hostile"

AFTER two remandß, / Mary Jane Clark,, a short, stoutlsh ' woirrian of middle age, neatly attired, was placed my the dock at the city police court to answer, two serious charges. It was alleged that pri .September 10, 1 $2 8, Clark made use of an instrument for the purpose of performing an Illegal act of Pearl Caroline Hislop, and that on October _'0/ 1928, she committed a similar offence on Myrtle Eliza Puncan.' Mr. A- C. Hanlon acted for accused, and Chief-detective Cameron conducted the prosecution;, Mr. C. J. I>. White, instructed by Messrs. Stewart and Kelly, of Balclutha, was present m court to watch proceedings on behalf ' of a witness named Smith. yThe benoh's/br^er for ihe coi<rt to be cleared removed :a bunch of epeotators, chiefly women, .and at

Mr. Hanlon's request, all witnesses were instructed to leave the court until called upon to give evidenoe. A feature- of the proceedings was the appearance as one of the chief witnesses of Pearl Caroline Hislop, a fashionably -dressed, and attractivelooking young brunette) who recently | figured m the Supreme Court m con- < npction with a charge of having abandoned her newly-born child outside the back-gate of' Mrs. Clark's stylish new bungalow situated at the junction of the Portobellp and Anderson's Bay roads. :' ';'•' -'.--. ... ■ The girl. conducted herself with absolute composure during her occupancy of the witness-box, and gaye her evidence m a clear voice. / At present, she. said, she was, an inmate., at : ' the 'Salvation Army Hoirie, having beeri Ordered to be detained m! the institution for . a' period of .12 months as a result of a conviction on a charge of abandoriirig her child. On September 10 last', she arrived m Dunedin from Balclutha and was met at the Jstatioh by Sydney George -. ■ - „ •'. i • ■ ■■■: ' '- ■'■". - ■ Girl's Description ' Smith. The couple went along to Club House, Moray Place, and there the girl \ booked a room. - i ' . Later m the cfay, she met the 1 young man, and they proceeded , ,by tram to a house m Anderson's , Bay Road. • i The house was of brick, said wit- ' ness, and having knocked at the , front door they saw Mrs. Clark, y whom witness now recognised as accused. The girl then described what she i . could remember of the furnishings and . other, appointments of the house. '■ "Accused asked. me if I felt nervous and I- said 'a little bit,'" she said. The chief- detective: What happened then? '.'-Miss -Hislop: I went out of the room With Mrs. Clark.