INK THROWN AT YOUNG LADIES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 250, 17 October 1918, Page 6

INK THROWN AT YOUNG LADIES.

IMITATIVE OFFENCE.

WAR SHOCK AND LIQUOR

An extraordinary series of charges preferred. against a returned soldier named John M'Cook, who had already pleaded guiltv, were considered by Mr fc\ F. Frazer, S.M., at the Wellington •Magistrate's Court, says the Poet. M'Cook was charged with having on Saturday evening, "sth October, assaulted Evelyns Rose Aicheson and Norah Lea, and .with having wilfully damaged a costume and vovercoat, valued at £-7, the" -property of jMiss Aicheson, and 1 a ' costume, worth £6, the property of Miss Lea.

Acting - Sub-Inspef;tor Emerson, "who conducted the prosecution, said that on the evening in question! the two young ladies, both of whom were school teachers, were walking from the Newtown Library to Brougham-street, and when some little distance down the road, realised that a soldier was walking behind them, but did not consider his behaviour extraordinary. 'He followed them almost to their destination, No. 11 Brougham-street, when one young lady noticed" that the other's dress was sp.ashed with indelible ink. The second costume was found to have been similarly damaged. Their costumes, they knew, had been all right when they left the library, and they came to the conclusion that the damage had been done by the soldier. After tea they took the damaged clothes to a' chemist in Courtenay-place, and were told that nothing scould' be done to remove the stains. They were walking home, and when near Courtenay-p'.ace again saw the accused standing near the footpath. He again followed them almost to their home. One of the ladies told her. father of the occurrence . He then down towards Courtenay-place with the two young ladies, and. informed two ■ policemen, and then walked on along Manners-street till, the accused was seen walking back. Constable LeFevre *\va s informed, and the man was arreted. "When spoken to, M A Cbok replied that he had had some indelible ink thai, afternoon, but had none left. He then took a small flask bottle out of his pocket, and the constable noticed that his hands and handkerchief were covered with ink. M'Cook said that he had made the ink by dissolving an indelible pencil in; water, and stated that while he was in Taranaki he saw an account in a newspaper of ladies' dresses having been splashed with ink in- Wellington, and that had put the idea into his head. Mr H. F. O'Leary, who appeared for the defence, said that M'Cook did not know the two ladies, and the second meeting was merely a coincidence. The only explanation was that M'Cook was temporarily; mentally unbalanced. Be was at present on duty furlough, hav:ng come back in July, after three years' service at the front, and having gone through three big battles. Further, he had been drinking considerably since he had returned from Taranaki. It would seem that there was some truth in the statement that he had seen accounts of similar practices previously, for he was not in) Wellington at the time when the practice had been first udulged in. He was to return to camp on 11th October, and had stii'l to return. He had already spent eight day? in gaol. .

I The .Magistrate remarked that ordinarily offences of the kind were based on a peculiar, abnormal, sexual mania, Sui.h cases were not uncommon, and the mental state manifested itself in different ways. An epidemic of haircutting which had occurred recently was of a somewhat similar nature. It '*-»•= clear that iM'Cook was not responsible for the" earlier infk-throwiurr in Wellington. Possibly, his mind had been so affected by war shock andi liquor that he had been led to commit the imitative offence after reading the newspaper accounts of the earlier, occurrences.

! The accused here stated that he ; had been drinking all day on sth O-tober, a:ad remembered -very little of what had happened. Mr Frazer, continuing, said that hac the case been one of clear sexual insan ity he would have considered that tht accused would best be placed somewhert where he would be prevented from re peating the offence- If M'Cook n ed to camp it was not likely that he would get into mischief again. Accused was convicted on all four charges,aud was ordered to make good the damage he had done to the clothing £5 and £7 respectively; in default, a month's imprisonment in each case. On each charge of "assault,' - ' he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within seven days. .. If M'Cook was taken, on the strength again, the Magistrate sa>id, the time might be extended,' as no good purpose would, follow sending the man to gaol. In order, to he'.p to ensure that the man should not break out again. a prohibition order was issued against him.