COUNSELLING ABORTION

Evening Star, Issue 22810, 19 November 1937, Page 14

COUNSELLING ABORTION

WOMAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, November 18. _ A dressmaker named Olive Marie Murfitt, married, aged 37, was charged before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court to-day with counselling or procuring a woman unlawfully to use an instrument on a girl aged 19 on or about August 19. The girl concerned gave evidence that in August she visited the accused’s home with a young man with whom she had been keeping company. He gave some money to the accused, who said she would get a woman to perform an operation on witness, and that she would lend witness her wedding ring, so that the cost would be £l2 instead of £2O. The operation was performed in a house by a woman, hut when it did not prove successful the accused told witness to see a doctor, who gave her a prescription which had the desired effect. Witness said she left the accused’s house about September 3. Her health was not good, and when she collapsed at work on September 11 she was taken to the Auckland Hospital, being discharged in a few days. Similar evidence was given by the young man who was keeping company with the previous witness. He said the accused gave him a wedding ring for the girl to wear while she was in hospital. Cross-examined, witness said the police told him that both the girl and he were liable to prosecution, hut that they would not be prosecuted.

Detective Brown said he interviewed the accused on October 12, when she made a statement which she would not sign. She would not give particulars of the woman who performed the operation, saying she would not bo so despicable as to give anyone away, and that she could stand it herself. The accused denied that the operation was performed in her house. She said a man and a girl stayed at her house as’man and wife.

The accused pleaded - not guilty, and was - committed to the Supreme Court for trial.

When counsel applied for hail, Detec-tive-sergeant Walsh said that bail had been refused in recent cases, even when application was made to the Supreme Court.

In view of the next Supreme Court sessions not being until February, the magistrate granted hail of £250. The accused left the court room screaming loudly.