INDECENT ASSAULT.

NZ Truth, Issue 116, 7 September 1907, Page 5

INDECENT ASSAULT.

CHARGE AGAINST AN OLD MAN

Robert Humphries Committed for Trial. ■ -. '

The Jong arm of tho law is very leisurely m moving, but it gets there just the same. A man named Robert Humphries, an elderly person with venerable hair and beard, was oniy recently arrested at Da-nnevirkc .for an indecent assault on July 2, 190i>, on a seven-year-old girl named Eileen McGrath, Who then lived wilh her parents m Penrose Avenue, Wellington. There were unspeakable features a'hout the indecency. Humphries lived opposite McGrath 's and c;ip'« into' the kitchen after bottles while the^ mother was away. ' Th_ little giri stated that he came m about .a tquar- 1 ter to eight and induced her to go with him to a shed at the rear, m which there was a w.c. Here the assault, which was of a disgusting nature, is alleged to have been committed. The mother of the child stated) that she did not h?ar o: the occurrence till next morning- .31k; tackled Humphries about it, and asked him, WHAT GAME IS THIS you have got on ?" He replied "What game do you mean ?" .She said, "With the little girl." He rejoined that he had neyer done any-thing-to the child. The mot-bor, who was much angered, struck him on the head and face with her clenched fist, and accused got away suddenly. -Did I not send you for beer ? Nn. you did not. Then God forgive you for telling a lie. Accused was making aspersions about another woman m the house, and persisted that beer was sent •for, when Mr Riddell, S.M., remarked that the statements were irrelevant. When Humphries was arrested, he gave the name of Hall and said he was willing to swear that he had never been drunk m his life. He pleadi-e-d not guilty,, ajad was committed for trials ■■ _^