MOTUKARAKA CASE

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1929, Page 6

MOTUKARAKA CASE

HEARING CONTINUED,

DEFENDANT IN- THE BOX. • (Special to “Northern ■ .Advocate/-’)■ I AUCKLAND, This Day. | The action for £SOO damages for : alleged libel brought by Lawrence Top; i ping Donaldson, headmaster of the ; Motukarakg school, near Rawenc, ! against Leonard S. Barre.il, butter : fetory manager, of Motukaraka, was [ continued in the Supreme Court '.yes,l terday, before Mr Justice Kennedy i and l a jury of twelve. ! DEFENDANT TESTIFIES. I Leonard, Sidney. Bareli, butter fae- } tory manager, of Motukaraka, said he | was elected member and chairman of i the school committee in 1928.

Counsel: Did you send a message asking Donaldson, to cane the girl Hawkins?—-That is so. It appears the girl Hawkins tried to ride down my daughter when she was coming from school, and getting through a fence, my daughter tore her dress.

Witness isald In'; went' to see the schoolmaster, who said he was running the school and not witness. The schoolmaster would not have anything to do with witness. Complaint was made by witness to the school teacher regarding the caning of Muriel, witness’ daughter. Witness Aid not threaten to thrash the teacher, nor did ho make any threats. His complaint was that the girl had been caned on the arm, instead of on the hand. The upper arm and shoulders showed marks of the cane in four or five places. Witness denied having said to Mr Harding that Donaldson was a truthful man “but being a returned soldier might b.e suffering from shell shock and not know his actions. ’ ’ AH witness had said to Harding was: “It is strange{ that those .girls should make these complaints if they were not true.”

To Counsel: What Maxwell had said about a conversation was a lie. It was untrue that witness had tried te disparage Donaldson -when talking to Mr Purdie.

Why idid you not put your complaints in writing at the time of the first inquiry?—Well, it was soon after the police investigations.

I suggest you really did not think there was much in these charges till the Education Board compelled you to put them in writing?—l did think there was something. I thought there had been illegal interference.

You didn't think there was anything of a sinister 'nature?—l did not think there was anything of a sex nature in the charges. Before you heard of your own children, you had made up your mind he was not fit to be at the school? —Yes, because of statements, he had made about me publicly. Gwendoline Mary Barrel!, school girl, aged 1(5, said she left the Mo.tukaraka School in 1024, after attending it for two years.. She stated that Donaldson used to interefere with her underclothing when she brought her work to him at his .desk, and when lie sat alongside her at her desk. Witness never complained to her parents. Not till after Detective Robertson had interviewed her last year did she make any complaint. j