AN IMPORTUNATE LOVER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18381, 23 April 1923, Page 5

AN IMPORTUNATE LOVER.

GIRL'S PURSUIT OF YOUTH.

SERIOUS TROUBLE' RESULTS. [BY TEUEGEAPH. —OWN COBEESPOITDSKT.} CHBISTCHUBCH. Saturday. An unusual case was heard by Mr. H. T. Widdowson, S.M., yesterday, when a youth aged 18 years was charged with receiving a shirt and singlet from Rose Keene, knowing them to be stolen- Mr. K. M. Gresson appeared for the accused, and Senior-Detective T. Gibson conducted the prosecution. _ Vera England, a married .woman, said that during the period in which she employed the girl Keene, she had missed a singlet, sheets, and blankets. Rose Keene admitted having stolen the goods, but said she obtained the underclothing at the request of the accused. He came round to Mrs. England's one afternoon and asked her to get the articles for him. She did not like, doing- it, but she went upstairs and got them. He knew perfectly well they were stolen. The Magistrate: Do you mean to say that he made a. special trip to get them? —Yes. ; , f '■" Mr. Gresson : Is it not a fact that you hav« been thrusting your attentions on this young man for, some time? —Yes. Haven't you been "pestering" him? — I don't know abont -"pestering." Did the boy want you about?— we were going together until all this happened. Mr. Gresson said the accused had known the girl in Tiraaru, and in Julylast she followed him to Christchurch. She went home at Christmas time and he tried to persuade her to stay there, but she was determined to come back to him. The accused in his evidence said he did ! not know the underclothing was stolen i until Mrs. England taxed the girl with i the theft some time later in his presence. He then burnt the articles. * j The accused's employer said that he j was absolutely honest and had handled ) hundreds of pounds and had never been i a penny out. In the affair between him and the girl, all the pursuing had been done by her. The witness had to forbid her to ring the boy up. The magistrate said had the accused been older his story might not have been believed. In face of his employer's testimony he would get the benefit of the doubt, and the charee would be dismissed. Mr. Gresson's application for the . suppression of the accused's name was granted. " i