WANTON RAYMOND.

NZ Truth, Issue 118, 21 September 1907, Page 6

WANTON RAYMOND.

AN ALLEGED ATROCIOUS OFFENCE.. ,^^gl William Thomas Raymond .was charged at Wellington Magistrate's Court on Wednesday with a particularly revolting assault on a fbur-teen-year-old girl named Olive May Benge, of No. 4 Abel-Smith Street. It would appear from the evidence that the girl's step-father . brought her and her mother to a dance iii the Druids' HaU, where they met Raymond. A week or two later this individual^ seems to have appeared at the bouse while the step-father and mother were away. The girl was scrubbing out a room at the time, and she alleges that Raymond forced her up against the wall and committed an indecent assault, complained of, which was all the more revolting because the ravish-er was suffering from a nameless disease. He communicated this to the unfortunate innocent girl, whose subsequent oondition occasioned her mother anxiety. When Raymond was effecting the assault he threatened to throttle her if she screamed out, and the frightened girl submitted to his embraces. He advised her not to tell her mother, and asked her what her age was.-s He advised her to say, if she was "questioned, that she had told him that she was sixteen years of age and above the age of consent. To prove that Raymond knew she was under age the step-father was produced. He related that Raymond had asked the girl's age and he -had replied "Fourteen," remarking

"SHE WILL BE A FINE GIRL when she's sixteen. This tended to" prove conclusively that Raymond hadknowledge that the girl was undn* the age of consent. Subsequent to the assault the girl's mother found that h-H" daughter was m an unhealthy state, and after examination ■found 1 hat .she had contracted a sexual disease. Dr. Milsom testified that the girl was suffering from the disease ; Dr. Herbert stated that Raymond came to him for advice, suffering from the same complaint, ' and Dr. Henry deposed that Raymond bad thc communicative illness wh?n arrested. Mr Jackson, who appeared for the accused, said he would reserve h ; s defence., and Ravmcnd was committed to stand his trial at tho next sittings of the Supreme Court.;