ASSAULT CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1925, Page 4

ASSAULT CHARGE

STRANDK .UTKLaND CASE. AI'CK LAND, duly ID. In I lie police mini this afternoon a married mail, foriy-iuie years of age, ial lying on business ia i!:e city a . an agent, v.as charged with' unlawfully a-saull iiig i wo girls. The case was conducted by Detective Ward, and the ncci; cd win, represent cd by .Mr ,\l at I lie-.vs. A girl of eighteen years testified that last week she replied to an advertisement- and, in answer to her letter, sic received a card asking her to call at No 12. National Chambers. Swanson St. cither between I and 2 p.m. or 0 | •. 111 . ami 7 p.m. She welil at 1 p.m. and had to call later at 2 p.m. After talking almui cilice work, the man in the oilier. who was the accused, referred to some piciui'es on the wall, and -aid lie would ask her to do sonic other work. She thought he said lie v. a utoil li. r i hold I lie pict ill e-. bu • loali-cd later that lie meant pose for them, lie took her behind a partition and asked h r i i ui'dicss. while he measured her. In regard In the measurements he explained ilia! lie wanted them so that lie would be able to

j u-e them l'dr repairing a broken statin j lie showed her. She declined In undress, bul lie took measurements ovoi ! her clolhes. and then measured her In reply In Mr .Matthews, the ;.'ir 1 said she had no desire to lie measured. Inn did not make a seene as she wished to eel away iplickly. A girl el’ 17 years told prnilieully the same story, the \isii being paid between It n.in. and 7 pan. by appointj Detective Ward .stated tbat when nr- [ reslml by him accused said lie was in j business ns an agent under the style of ilio Commercial Stationery Company. bid be also did drawing and muddling work, lb' said lie bad got about fifty applieations in reply to bis advertisement, but bad not made an appointment. He bad told .some of the girls they eould make Os or -Is a week extra, by pov.ng lor him one night a week. He required the model t:> be nude or ju>i drapml. He mostly did modelling but he sketched from the nude also, in order to keep his hand in. Air Alai thews produced a number of exhibits of accused’s work as an artist to show that ho was an artist of exceptional merit. The explanation of why lie did not advertise for a model was thill the man was in pom- cimnnslatiees ".ml eould not pay for a regular mond. He bad to do other work" and Lo get a model to pose occasionally when lie could niford to pity for the posing. The mini’s point of view was lhat of the artist, not of the sensualist. The name of the defendant was su] pressed by order of the Court.