“TIE-UP MAN”

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1939, Page 11

“TIE-UP MAN”

_ CURIOUS WELLINGTON CASE. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, October 20. Known to children of the vicinity as the “tie-up man,” Ernest John Coveny, 30, married, living with his wife, came before the S.M., charged with assaulting a boy of ten years, at Haitaitai. The police statement was to the effect that the man had a “kink.” Literature and notes, left about for children to pick up, indicated some extraordinary abnormality. All the notes referred to tieing up. The incident on which he was charged was a case in which it was stated that accused, when standing by the gate of his residence, handed a piece of rope to a girl, and requested her to tie a boy up. After she herself refused, he tied her. Accused then tied the boy to a post, and, with some difficulty, the boy was able to extricate himself. Mr. Stout, S.M., remarked that it was a curious sort of case, but he could not dismiss it as trivial, or treat it in any way but seriously. He imposed a sentence of two months’ hard labour. A similar sentence was imposed on William George Hart, 49, a man stated by counsel to be very fond of children, and lo have children of his own. Hart had taken away a. girl of four years, and was found with her in Haitaitai Park, an hour and a-half later.