GRAVE ACCUSATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 9

GRAVE ACCUSATION.

THREE PEOPLE FOR TRIAL.

MAN AND" TWO WOMEN.

ALLEGED ILLEGAL OPERATION.

When th'e case in which two women and j a man are charged in connection with an j alleged illegal operation on a young girl came before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, he ordered the Court to be cleared. The accused'are Agnes Hill, aged 64, Jessie Armstrong, aged 50, and Oswald Jensen, aged 24. Mr. Singer appeared for the three accused. A "waitress at a tearoom stated that she knew Jensen, who was a taxi-driver. He asked her if she knew anyone who could get a girl out of trouble. fitness called on Mrs. Armstrong, and later witness, with Jensen and the girl, went to see her in Colling'wood Street, Ponsonby. Witness had received £8 from Jensen, and this she paid to Mrs. Armstrong, and it was arranged that the girl should go to Mrs. Hill's house at Grey Lynn. They went there, and after a lot of persuasion Mrs. Hill took the girl in. Mrs. Armstrong told the girl to get a certain instrument at a chemist's. The girl concerned, aged 17 years, said she had been a domestic servant at an Auckland hotel, and had kept company with Jensen. She told him of her condition. Witness saw Jensen give the previous witness a sum of money; she thought it was £8. She also saw the previous witness pay £8 to Mrs. Armstrong. Witness saw Mrs. Armstrong give Mrs. Hill £4. Witness described her visit to Mrs. Hill's house. The mother of the girl said she called in a doctor on December 11 to examine her daughter. She knew she had been keeping company with Jensen. Dr. Murdo M. Mcßae, of Te Kuiti, said he ordered the girl to the hospital. He came to the conclusion that blood "poisoning was established. Senior-Detective Hammond said that when told of the charge, Mrs. Hill said, "I did nothing to her; they do not let me know what they do." Mrs. Armstrong said, "I do not know the girl; she has never been in my house. I suppose this is a bit of spite." The three accused, who pleaded not guilty and reserved their defence, were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. They were allowed bail.