A GIRL ADMONISHED IN COURT.

Lake County Press, Issue 974, 8 August 1901, Page 7

A GIRL ADMONISHED IN COURT.

Extraordinary evidence was given in an appeal case which was begun in the Court of General Sessions at Melbourne on July 16 before Judge Molesworth. The appellant was Constable Joseph K. Piddington, and tho respondent Norma Mills, seventeen years of ago. The appeal was against an order made in the District Court in March last requiring Piddington to pay to respondent £7, with £4 4s costs on a pre-maternity claim, and the ground of it was that tho order was bad in law and against the weight of evidence. In her evidence respondent said she had been seduced by Piddington under a promise of marriage, and that he afterwards gave her drugs for an unlawful purpose. A child was born on May 20 last. Under cross-examination she said that when fifteen years of age she had been criminally assaulted by another constable named Miller, and •’hat she had reported the occurrence to the police authorities. In November last she was also assaulted in a railway carriage by a porter named Desmond. She reported Desmond’s offence to tho chief traffic manager, and asked him to try and frighten Desmond into marrying her. Judge Molesworth commented severely upon the girl’s evidence, and particularly with regard to her admittedly baseless charge against Desmond. It seemed to him a dreadful thing for any woman to do, and if respondent really did as she said she did it was clear she was a very bad girl. The hearing was adjourned.