ALLEGED CRIMINAL ASSAULT.

NZ Truth, Issue 99, 11 May 1907, Page 6

ALLEGED CRIMINAL ASSAULT.

A Clergyman's Daughter's Story.

A Southbridge Sensation,

_f_] clergyman's daughter is alleged .to \ have beea, attacked at Southbridge by some rascal who attempted to criminally, assault her, a little over a fortnight ago. Constable Poole took the matter m hand, and as a result one Alexander Hamilton, stands charged with having committed the offence. He 'is working man employed at Southbridge, is aged 24, and has a wife and three children. The girl whom he is alleged to have ftried' to tamper with is Irene Jackson, who is only nearing' sixteen. She is the daughter of Presbyterian minister R- Jackson, and resides with her father at the Manse. On the night of April 20 she was m ithe township and went to the v railHvay, statiom 'She left there at seven p.m., going home along High-street and along Rakaia road. Observed a man .standing m Rakaia road between William Brady's and the cor-;-ner; she was m the centre of the street. . A man was following her along the footpath. Went down by Hill's gate and passed the water terrace, and then she looked over her shoulder and saw that the man still v followed. Another individual .was m the middle of the road then, but. when she again looked tbe latter had di'ssapeared. When between; ©onegan's road and Nicholson's corner a man crossed behind her over the road, and . at the Manse gate an individual accosted her and said • '■'Could you tell me where ."then he stopped and placing both his arms round her he put her on the grouudr-,Th_en followed a description of the fellow's h RUFFIANLY CONDUCT. ■ She screamed,, and the man placed' his hand over her mouth to stop< her. Suddenly he raised himself and, looked down the drive, fearing that ber screams had alarmed somebody. Then he got up and ran away to--wards the township. Her mother came out and she went into the house. It was fairly light ah. that night, and she plainly recognised the man who had her down. A couple of days ■ afterwards she was with her mother m the township m the forenoon, and saw a man coming out of a public-bouse. It was the accused, Hamilton ;, she recognised him as her assailant. She pointed him out to her mother. Herself and her mother went upstairs to see the man better ; he was going to the station at the time. She told the police that Hamilton was the man. Emma Madeline Jackson, mother of the girl, told the Court that her daughter would be sixteen on -the o.9th of May. On the night m ques- j tion she heard screams and ran out, it-he girl running into her arrhs. , She complained: that she had -.been assaulted, and later on noticed that, her dress was soiled. The girl was distressed and crying. A couple of ' days afterwards Irene and herself--.went to the township, where Hamilton was recognised, by the girl. The ; Rev. Jackson stated that he- heard screams outside his gate, but didn't do anything; he "wai ted. and wondered," but m'■ consequence of what lie learned later en he went 'to tbe . police and complained that somebody bad abused his daughter. It was not very clear moonlight that night, but dull. He could have recognised anyone at close quarters. The next . witness^ called was William 'Berice, a larm la"borer at Killinchy, . .who had 'heen m Hamilton's company for -an hour. They had A COUPLE OF DRINKS together. Then he (Bence) left to go down the North Rakaia Road. On ; jroing along he saw a man walking on the right hand side, but he couldn't identify bim. There was a girl m front dressed m white. She was about 100 yards - off. Bence went to the bridge and then returned to - Pehfold's Hotel and got his* bike ; then lie went back up the same rpad\ and met the Rev.. Jackson. The ni^ht was fairly dark. He didn't • think Hamilton was Ihe man he saw following the girl ; if he bad *tfcough_fc So he would have called out to him. M'll-owner Walter Smith says he saw a man come tlyough bis fence and walk through his stable yard on the night of the' alleged assault;. Bid him "Cood night" twice before he responded, and then it was m a coarse voice. His curiosity was aroused; and he followed him quickly to Hill's Hotel. The man, stopped there, and was standing ' by the \ 1 ridge, and Smith looked at him at r-lose oueirters, and saw that it was Hamilton. He was wearing a dark flt hat drawn over the eves and face ; a dark coat and light-coloured | trousers, -perhaps saddle tweed. Didn't ?pe him acrain that evening. It was light enouch to identify anybody, but he thought Hamilton didn't want him- to recognise him. When he followed th' 3 man he didn't . know that any offence had been committed ; he merely did so. f°r his own information. Whf*n : Corista ble Poole arrested accused after ' the occurrence the man denie-1 any knowledge of the mattsr. The accused, who was rer>resentF<d by Mr. Lea tham, of 'ChristVhurch; was committed, to sta.rd his trial, being released on bail.