PAID THE WRONG ONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 453, 7 September 1928, Page 7

PAID THE WRONG ONE

SHOWMAN SUED FOR MAINTENANCE “WOMAN ON GOOD WICKET” (From Our Oton Correspondent.) OPOTIKI, Thursday. The unusual defence that his children had been committed to a home without His knowledge, and that he had been paying for the maintenance of them to a fostermother was put forward by Harry Stewart in the Opotiki Police Court before Mr. E. C. Levvy, S.M., when charged with failing to maintain his three children. Defendant is a travelling showman and he said he left the three children in charge of a woman in Christchurch, paying her £2 weekly regularly. The first he heard that the children were not in the custody of the woman was when he was told by the Opotiki police. In reply to the magistrate, he said he had never heard that the children had been committed to a home. Mr. Hodgson, counsel for defendant, said that in February last the children gave trouble and were placed in a probation home. They got away, roamed about the streets and committed offences, and were brought before the Children’s Court. Hefendant heard nothing about it and kept paying the woman who still received the money. She was on a good wicket. Hefendant made no attempt to avoid anything. It was only when particulars were published in the Police Gazette that defendant was found. The magistrate said it seemed most extraordinary that defendant -was unaware of where the children were. Ho was ordered to pay £lO to the State and 30s a week for the maintenance of the children.