A CRIMINAL CHARGE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4172, 22 July 1892, Page 2

A CRIMINAL CHARGE.

housedOommiiMforTrial.

la the Carterton R;M.Gourtyesterday, before Messrs J; Bayliss and K. W. Dorset, J.'sP., Thomas Luff was charged with that he> did on the 19th July, 1892, carnally know a girl named Anne Senno:t, of the age of twelve years. .".'.'. Constable E. Darby prossouted and Mr Aoheson defended the accused.

By the order of the Bench the , Court was olosod to the public | Mary Ann Mao Hardy, mother of i Anne ; Senn6x',deposud: On Tuesday last I sent the girl a message to Dr ] Johnston. It was tetween one and two o'clock in the aflamoon. She i relumed about seven in the evening, i In consequence of something I was told 1 went to look sor her, I went h to Mr Booth's wool shed where I was ' told she wa9. I did not find her there. The wool shed is about a quarter of a.mile from my resi<ience,and is close to the tramway. My daughter complained to me about the accused and that he had done something to her. I cannot tell the exact age of my daughter, but I. think it is about twelve yenrs. , " A copy of the certificate of birth was here put in, showing that the girl was born on the Ist June, 1880. To Mr Achesbn: I don't know the year I was born in. I don't know how old lam,butl think I ata thirty years of age. I expect I was fourteen years of age when my daughter was born, but I don't know for cer> tain. I was with my mother when she registered the child. I had no conversation yesterday with Co'ustablo Darby about the age of my daughter, My daughter lives with me. ■ AnneSeonox, on oath, deposed: I am a daughter of the last witness. I live with my mother, I know tho acoused. I remember Tuesday last, 19th July. Iwas sent on a message by my mother. 1 left home between one and two o'clock in the afternoon. I went up the tram towards Mr Booth's wool shed. I met accused at the wool shed. He asked me what mother said when I was behind the boiler with him. I told him that she gave me a whipping, He took the parcel that I was Carrying and led mo by the hand to the wool shed. [The witness here described the offence, which it was alleged had been committed.] William Clarke then enme along. The accused was beside ino and I was lyiug down, I then got up ana ran aside so that Clarke should not see me. I went on up the tr&m, and the accused went to the side of the other shed. I returned home between si:c and 6even o'olook in the evening, My father asked me where 1 had been, I told him that I was with the accused, and that the acoused had MB&ulted me, James Turley was there, but I don't know whether he Bawu 3 or not. To Mr Acheson: The name of the acoused is Thomas Luff, I call him Tom. I've known him sometime, I've been to his house. : I have been out with him before the 19th July, instant. He did nothing to me before the 19th July, No other porson has behaved to mo as Mr Luff did, I never slept under the Waingawa , bridge, I knew a young man who \ kept a fancy goods shop next to the Marquis of Nornmnby Hotel. Iwas in his shop once. I stopped there all night. Father told me when I got 1 home on the 19th July, that ho had heard that I had been with the aocused;. and then I told him what had occurred.

W. F. Clarke gave evidence that be saw the accused and a girl together, but be did not recognise who the girl was, James Turley deposed that he saw the accused aud the girl together aud recognised them both. The accused was in a recumbent position,

Dr Johnston deposed; I was requested to come to the Police Station on Tuesday night last to examine a girl who was supposed to have been criminally assaulted, I first saw the accused and examined him and found no stains on bis olothes. I then saw the girl Anne Sennox. I found her a Btronij, healthy, well-de-veloped girl. On examining her I found her to have reached the a°;e of puberty. There were no marks, bruises, or soratches about her body, I found stains on her underclothing, [The witness hero stated the apparent cause of the discolouration.] To.Mr Acheson : If the girl had connection 1 on the 18th instant, similav stains might toon ber clothes on the 19th. The stains on tbe girl's clothes wore, I should say, not more than ft day or two old, I would not swear they were not four days old, I found no stains oi blood on the girl's person or clothes. I am fairly of opinion that tbe girl had had connection .-. before . the 19th instant. I should havo taken the girl to bo from fifteen to sixteen years of age, and on close examination'niy opinion was more firmly fixed that she was that age. I could not say whether the girl had had recent connection or not,

Constablo E. Darby deposed: On Tuesday night last, from information received, I arrested the accused. I saw him at his own house, He was partly Undressed, I told him to put his clothes on. I wanted to speak to liirii, He came out onto the road, when I told him what hpwas charged with. He said, "Oh no! no such thing; lam not going with you!" He turned to go into his house, whon I put my band on his shoulder, and arrested him on the charge, I gave him tbe usual caution. This closed the case, Cornel for tho accused addressed the Court and reviewed the evidence given by tbe different witnesses,

Thos. Luff, the accused, on oath deposed: I know Anne Sennox by the naipe of Anne McHardy, Previous tp the 19th July Bhe told mo she was fifteen years old, I have heard pe'pple say she was between fpurteen and sixteen years of age. "Cross-examined by Constable Darby: I thought she was over fifteen years old, and frop that belief I had connection with her. To Mr. Acheson: Anne Sennox sought my company. 1 did not seek here,

The accused was committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court in Wellington. Bail was allowed, himself in £IOO and two sureties of£so each.