STAINED WITH INK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 18, 16 October 1918, Page 3

STAINED WITH INK

J QUEER ACTION OF A SOLDIER

1 SPLASHED LADIES' COSTUMES I '

The action of a.soldier in deliberately soiling ladies' costumes with indelible ink formed, tho subject of a.peculiar caso heard before Air. F. • Frazer, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The .soldier, ivlioso name was John M'Cook, a corporal m the Canterbury Regiment; was oh'arged with having, on Ootober 5, wilfully damaged a costume, valued at. £6, and a costume and overcoat, valued at £7. In detailing tho particulars,. Actmjg-Sub-Inspeotor "Emerson said that on Saturday, October 5, the two ladies, who were schoolteachers, were walking from the Newtown Library to Brougham Street. They noticed that a soldier was following them, and ho continued to do so until they were nearly home. One of the ladies noticed that the dress of. her companion had been splashed with indelible ink. Her own dross had also been soiled. They thought it strange, and the only conclusion they could come to was that the soldier who had walked behind them was responsible. Going to a chemist's in Courtenay Place thfiV were informed that the Mains could not bo removed. On coming out of the shop they saw the accused standing on the. footpath. However, they continued to walk to their home, but when they readied Kent Terrace they noticed that the' accused was again following them. On reaching home one of the young ladies informed her , father of the matter, and he'decided to locate- , the soldier. Subsequently, the man was seen in Courtenay Place coming from the direction of 'Manners Street, ano> Constable le Fevre was informed .of the matter. The constable approached the acoused, who stated , that he did have some indelible ink that afternoon, kit it had all been used. The man said he liad made the ink by dissolving an ink pencil in water. He also volunteered the information that he had read in the papers about ladies' clothing having been splashed with indelible ink in Wellington, and 1 that was what put the idea into his head , ; Act-ing-S'ub-Inspector Emerson said thn most extraordinary thing about the matter was that the man should fo]-' low the ladies a second time within an 'lour nf the first occasion.

Mr. H. F. O'lcary, who appeared for the accused,' stated that the only explanation he could (live was that M/Cook was temporarily unbalanced mentally. He. was in New Zealand on furWgli, returning in July after eerying three years with the forces in , France. Apparently, his; experiences had affected him temporarily. The man hatl iiiformod counsel that he had taen drinking heavily, ar.d that 'ft was ivliile suffering from the effects;; of drink that he was seized with the idea to act as he did. Counsel asked that the man be given a chance to return to duty with the N.Z.B.F.

His Worship said that ordinarily an offence of the kind under notice wns committed as the result of a peculiar abnormal sexual mania. The sifilit of it liVrwn dressed neatly seized sunh a man with an infatuation for spoiling the attractive appearance of her clothing. A man who acted ,'in that waywas usually jinsane—it was a form of sexual insanity. Such (ases v.'era not uncommon. In the present case it seemed fairly clear that as the accused had been out of Wellington for three months prior to October, ho was not responsible for the earlier episodes of a similar kind rf-ported as having taken place jr. Wellington. It might do that /the man had been affected to some extent by his experiences at">the front, and by the liquor he had been, drinking. In that case, instead of I'eing the usual sexual insanity, it would bo a kind of imitative ■ offence, produced, by liquor,- war shock,- arid;the effect of 'reading about similar occurrences. Replying to Hie Worship. M'Cook said his mind was so'confused from the effects of drink that he did rot know wbat he was doing. He had r.ot touched drink before he joined the Army. ; Mr. Fraswr said that if it had been one- of those clear cases of sexual insanity it would have been the proper thing to have put accused somewhere where he v would have been \ revented from repeating the offence, As it was, His Worship was inclined to the opinion that, the offence was more an imitative one, arising out of the man's condition.

M'Oqplt was convicted and ordered to' come up for sentence when called upon within seVen days, and he was ordered to moke good: the damage done to the costumes, in default one month's imprisonment; A prohibition order was also issued aigainst".him. His Worship said that if accused .were taker hack to camp within a week he need not he brought up i\gain. The sum of £4 found in his possession could be deposited as part payment of the damage, and arrangements could bo made to draw the remainder,from accused's pay. ■ :