EMPLOYER AND TYPISTE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 186, 11 September 1914, Page 6

EMPLOYER AND TYPISTE.

j "TOUCHED UNDER THE CHIN" BROTHERS CALL TO CtET SATISFACTION. An . attack on an employer by the brothers of a girltypiete was described at Bow Street recently, when John Munch, a medical student/ and Francis Munch, a confectioner, were charged before Mr Graham Campbell with assaulting John Henry" Bell, a Canadian real estate worker, of Avenue Chambers,' Southampton Mr Harry Wilson, who prosecuted, said that Miss Marie Munch, a sister of the Munches, went to Mr Bell's office on July 13 to do 'shorthand and typewriting work. " During tl\e afternoon,' ' he continued, '' Mr Bell observed that she was smiling, and rather foolishly touched her under the chin, saying he hoped she would get on all right there; .He did. nothing more, but Mis? Munch accused him of insulting her/ and at once, left the office. • - v ■ . f She subsequently took out a summons against him for assault, but before the case was Heard her brothers and another man went to Mr Bell's office and asked him- what he meant by kissing their sister. He denied the suggestion, and, seeing; that their manner was becoming threatening, went to Gray's Inn Road Police Station, and returned to his office with Detective-Ser-geant- Symmons. "In the presence of the sergeant the brothers struck Mr Bell several times on the face and head, and he finally had to seek-refuge in the cage of the lift." Denials. Mr Bell, a middle-aged man, gave evidence in support of. this statement. In reply to Mr Dodd,. who defended, he denied that he invited Miss Munch" to have luncheon vrttH him when she had only been in his office about two hours. He also denied that he told her she had/ nice hair, and that. he put his %ms round her waist and kissed her several times. "Did you say," asked Mr Dodd, "that you would rather give £2O than she should make a fuss about it?" x "No," replied Mr Bell. Mr Frederick Lewis Hewes,:a partner of Mr Bell, said he was in -an adjoining office on 'thd occasion referred to. The door was. .open, but he did not see Mr Bell act improperly. Miss Munch said that Mr Bell asked her to take luncheon with him, and when she declined he satid'he meant no harm. "During the afternoon," she continued, "Mr Bell dictated several letters to me. During a long pause I looked up, and he told me I had very nice hair. He considered : it was a pity, he said, that Canadian ladies did not have similar hair. "At the same time he put his hand under my chin and 1 tried to" turn my head round. Then he kissed me several times. "I struggled, and ; I got away from him. I at once put on my hat and coat. He was asking me all the time to stop. I called him a beast; He tried to prevent me going out, but, I pushed him oil one side. "I went back for my fountain-pen, which I had forgotten, and Mr Bell asked, me to forgive him. He said he would not do it again. I pushed him away. He tried to prevent me making a noise. He offered, me two weeks * wages, but I would not take anything." Did Not Scream. In reply to Mr "Wilson, Miss Munch said she did not scream when Mr Bell kissed her. Charles Munch, a brother of the two defendants, who accompanied them to Mr Bell's office, but took no part in the assault, was asked what their object was in going there.. '' To get satisfaction,'' he replied. What was to lie the satisfaction?— I leave it to your imagination. John Munch said that Mr Bell admitted to him that lie had "chucked" Miss Munch under the chin, and said he would rather pay 2000 dollars than that the case should go into court. After a prolonged hearing, the magistrate said the two brothers had no right to take the law into their own hands, but one could not help thinking that Mr Bell, by chucking Miss Munch under the chin, had largely brought on himself what happened. He bound both brothers over to keep the peace. Mr Bell, in respect of a summons taken out against him for assaulting Miss Munch, was also bound over the magistrate remarking that, there' was no corroboration of her story that MiBell did anything more than'to ..eh her under the chin.