A FILTHY FIEND.

NZ Truth, Issue 119, 28 September 1907, Page 6

A FILTHY FIEND.

A BOTANICAL GARDENS INCIDENT. Lisby the Licentious Exhibitionist. Sentenced to Three Months' Imprisonment.

A : filthy, low-minded specimen of humanity named James Reginald Lisby, occupied the attention of Magistrate Riddel lat the S.M. Court on Friday of last week. This Lisby is what is known as an "Exhiwitionist," and his particular prank is to indecently expose himself to females, and he was brought before the Court on no less than four charges, the offences having taken place m the Botanical Gardens on various dates m August and September. Inspector Ellison prosecuted for the police and Mr Herdman defended. Iza Fettis, a child of 12 years and six months, stated that she was inthe fifth standard) at school, and recollected being m the ' Gradens on September (>. She was on the seesaw, and Lisby was reading, a book opposite. Another girl of nine years was with her, and later Lisby occupied a seat m front of the see-saw. He was then guilty of an obscene action. The man was a little further away than the end of the Court, bait she "could see distinctly what he was doing. The rudeness continued about ten minutes while she was on the seesaw. When she went home she' told her father and mother about the rudeness. She also mentioned dt to Jessie Roberts before she left for home, and advised her to come away. The man didn't speak at the time. He continued the rude conduct for about five minutes. Maggie Myers was pushing; her on the swing. The girls ran away when they saw the indecency. To Mr Herdanan : There were grown up people about at the time,, but they DIDN'T SEE THE ACCUSED. She knew it was the 3rd of August because' she toad reckoned it up. She had not told the people m her house" at the time because she didn't like to- She was about fifteen yards away. • She had never seen a sight like that ;bef ore. Maggie Myers, a girl of 12 i 'years, was sworn m consideration of her age, and stated that she lived m Creswick Terrace. The girl remarked that Lisby did something that wasn't very * nice, ami Delia O'Gorman, who was being pushed on the swing by witness, started crying, and they ran away. She had often" seen Lisby m the gardens, but he did not have his arm m a sling on the day ho was rude- This witness- stated that accused was a greater distance away than was testified by the last witness. To Mr Herdman : She had never seen a man misconduct himself like that before, but she was not mistaken about what ho had done.

To Mr I-lerdm.an : SJvc had lost a brooch, and Jessie Ivoberts went up and asked Lisby if he bad seen it. He indicated with his foot where it was m I'tos grass, and it was recovered. He said nothing rude. At the time the, man had liis hand out of the slingJohanna Mkilcahy, a youngster of 10 years, said she lived m the Botanical Gardens with her father, who worked there. Lishy was often m the (rardens, and she recollected seeing him there on Wednesday v/eek. She testified that she was going down the path, and as she approached sho saw him

DOING SOMETHING NAUGHTY. He was only a few yards from her. She had seen him rude before. She told her mother about it, and the police were sent for. This witness, like lhe # previous ones, had picked the accused out of a. crowd' of men at the station. She told her story with great eloquence, and seemed • full of her subject.

• To Mr Hcrdman : When accused was first rude it was a lons .long -time aKo- It was possible that when she came on Lishy on the path, he may h&veibeen obeying a call of nature.

Patrick Mulcahy, employed' m the Botanical Gardens, testified that he bad received a complaint from his child about the occurrence narrated above.

Constable I-leflernan gave evidence as to the arrest of accused, who 'denied the exposure before the girl Mui-ca-hy. and staled that he had not -lA&eti m the Gardens on that date. The a;irls who had given evidence previously had identified the accused from a number of others en different dates.

Inspector Ellison said it had 'beeni intended 1 to lay an information respecting obscene behaviour on a much earlier date, but unfortunately the vounn: girl concerned did not remember the date. She was a g-irl of about twelvei, and spoke of "several months ae:o"

His Worship dud not think' the charge was admissible m the circumstances. Mr Herdman, for the accused, called, evidence respecting tlie ENTIRE RESPECTABILITY OF. THE YOUNG MAN. who- had .met with an accident to his arm,-, ami had' been m the halbdt of frequenting i-he gardens and reading, there during, his incapaoitatioh. With regard to the last charge the little girl camie round the corner unexpectedly while he was doing a common act. The extraordinary character of the second case was that his arm was m splints, and it was a fact that little girls 'ftot ideas into their minds, exaggerated those ideas, and assumed! an importance for events that those events did not deserve. Lis-by would swear that no indecent exposure had taken place.

Lisby stated In evidence that lie was m the employ of the Fresh "cod and Ice Company, and five weeks on Wednesday last he had mtt with an accident to his right hand. He 11 veil m the vicinity of Tinakori Road and had been m the habit of komir to the gardens since ho met with tin: accident. On Saturday. August 3 ho was sitting m th-e vicinity of tho swings, hut did not recollect st-ein/r Maggie Myers or Delia O'Gorman m the gardens at any time, H e denied exposing himself, as described by I*v ffirls. On Friday, September G h<* was sitting reading m front of the" swings when one of the litlin v ,\vH I game un and complained o f losing- t. ' Lrooc% and lie imUeakd whore it was

m the grass .with his foot. Later he went into the bush and obeyed a call of nature, and, returning, sat on ,the seat m front of the swing, and, noticing that his clothes were disarranged, he put his sound hand down and adjusted them. On September 6, -the date of the last information, he was again obeying a call of nature when a little girl came down the path suddenly while he was arranging his clothes and disappeared rapidly down the path.

To Inspector Ellison :> It was possible he was working on August 3, but the fact could be settled on an examination of the Company's books. All he denied about the girl Mulcahy's evidence was that it was impossible she could have s>een his person. James Brandon, of the Company mentioned, gave evidence as to the EXTREMELY HIGH CHARACTER held by Lisby. He thought it was more than likely that the accused was working on August -3. A woman named Bassett, who elected to affirm without the Bible, stated that Lisby had been living with her as a boarder for 11 months, and he had always behaved himseff m a respectable way. J. H. Shortt. builder, Molesworthstiieet, undo of Lisby, gave evidence as to accused being a lad of good moral character. His age was from twenty to twenty-one years. Lisby was convicted -m two charges and sentenced to three months' imprisonment on ouch charge sentences to be concurrent.