A DOCTOR AND A LADY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8962, 30 October 1907, Page 4

A DOCTOR AND A LADY.

A case of some wh at remarkable character occupied the attention of Mr Brabant, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court at Napier on Monday. Dr. T. O. Moore, a .well-known medical and public man, who holds tJio position of the Chairman of the « High School Board of Governors, i was charged on the information ot , Mrs Rosie Elphanstone Warren, a•: fashionable widow, with having committed an assault on her. The j prosecutrix asked that ho be bound ; over to keep the peace. Mr Lusk appeared for the prosecu- j trix, and Mr Westall for the defence. ~ iT ! Mr Lusk, in opening, said the case , was of rather :i serious character, j and of a class that did not often come before the Court. Defendant was a man of education and professional position. It was an unusual thing in a British community to find a ciiarge of assault brought f {by a woman against a man in the position of defendant. . A sensational story, told by the prosecutrix, was that on September oOth Dr. Mooro's eldest daughter, who has since been admittea to a lmatie asylum, came to her house rud said that her people were giving ]-«r medicine to make her mad. and a-died to be allowed to stay the night. This she was allowed to do, hut Mrs Warvcn and a Miss Boyle went to telephone to Dr. Moore to ::cquaiut him where his daughter was. On the way she met Mrs Hughes, an aunt of Miss Moore s,. who said the girl would have to go homo which she did that night. According to the story told by Miss Hughes to Mrs Warren, Miss Moore was thrashed by her nurse because hhe would not sleep on October 3rd. Irs Warren, on her way to Bishop Villiams' garden party, called at )r Moore's residence with her little | . irl to ask for Miss Margaret Moore. lie was shown into the drawing ■ooiii by a maid, and it is alleged •>y the prosecutrix that Dr. Moore amo into the room, closed the oor behind him, and, she thought, ocked it. He said, "You're that -.lrs Warren, you wretched, vile vomau!" She replied, "To whom ire you speaking?'' and ho said, 'l'm speaking to you. I wonder rou have the impertinence ;to come here." She said she was going out, md tried to get past him, and ho ■tried out, "You're not going out i-ill I've done with, you." Mrs Warren alleged that Dr. Moore then slapped, her face, took her bv the shoulders, aud threw her across the room. She alleges that.she fell with her little girl, who caught hold ot • her. She got up, thumped at the window and screamed. She did not think she had ever screamed so much in all her life. Dr. Moore laughed, aud at last let her out. On getting .into the street she met Dr. De Lisle, who told her to report the matter to tho police at once. Under cross-examination the witness denied that she rushed at Dr. Moore and called him a brute. She stated that she did not have time to touch him, hut lie took her like a rat and throw her across the room. Dr. De Lisle did not caution her that she was making very grave statements. Evidence to the same effect was given by the seven year old daughter of prosecutrix, who was present during the alleged scene. Mrs Liudegreen stated in evidence that Mrs Warren's face was red where she said sho had been hit, and

she had'bruises on lier knees. j For the defence, Mr Westall referred to Dr. Moore's high standiug, and said an attempt was being made to besmirch the character of an honourable man. Defendant stated in evidence that on September 30th his daughter was in a bad state of health mentally, and in a serious condition. He was in bvTwith influenza, and his wife told him that Margaretjhad been out of the house since the morning. He got up and thev wen 1 ; for her round the town in a cab. His daughter was then at Mrs Warren's. On the prosecutrix calling at Ins house he askod her why she had kept his daughter at her houso for hours, keeping tl em in a state of anxiety. She slid she had done it out of kindness, and he sai 1 she had behaved most improperly. Mrs Warren thou got very excited, voluble and incoherent. She gesticulated in front of him, and the gist of her remarks 'was the cruelty that was being practised on his daughter. He had no intention 0° assaulting her, but lie put out his hand, and she seemed to fall over. She was like a mad lion or an excited fowl. She picked herself up and began to rush about the room. As soon as he could gather his wits tegcthor he took her by the arm avid conducted her out. As she was bavins she said, "You bruto of a man! Yon have driven your daughter mad." Ho denied using any violence, and also denied I slapping Mrs Warron's face, or throwing her across tlio room. Defendant, who was subjected to a stringent cross-examination hy Mr Lusk, further denied calling Mrs Warren a vile, wretched woman This, he said, was a puro invention. I'Mrs Warren was a mystery, and hor reputation was enough for him. Mr Lusk: What is her reputaion.' j I want to hear it.—Well, she lias tho reputation of being hysterical. Mr Lusk: Did yon hear this from ;a man in the street or women at afternoon tea, or whore V—l have ! heard she is hysterical. Mr Lusk : When Mrs Warren put her hand up did you touch it? | You're not a fool, and I'm not a fool. Did you touch hor?—No. I (simply put out my hand. The 1 woman was very hysterical, and imagination goes a long way. Mr Lusk: You caused hysterics in this case anyhow. Nellie Montecino, maid servant, gave evidence to the effect that the whole affair was over in four or five minutes. Mrs Warren was dancing about in an excited state, and Dr. Mooro took her by the arm and led her out. The door was open all the time, and she saw what went on Under cross-examination hy Mr Lusk, witness admitted that a quarter of an hour must have elapsed, and that she was hack aud forward in the kitchen and dining room - • , TT 1H Dr. De Lisle, District Health Officer, deposed that Mrs Warren came out of Dr. Moore's house as ho was passing along the street. She said that Dr. Mooro had slapped her face, thrown her down, and in going i out of the door had kicked her. She also said that Dr. Moore was trying to either poison iiis daughter or drive her mad. He said it was a case for the police and not for him. Mrs Warren.did not appear to have been assaulted, and her clothes were not disordered. Dr. McDonald, who attended Mrs Warren after the alleged assault, said he could find nothing the matter with Iter, Her face was flushed, and ahe said she had a pain in hor shoulder. Tho Magistrate said he would reserve his decision.