MOUD BENTON'S BABY.

NZ Truth, Issue 135, 18 January 1908, Page 5

MOUD BENTON'S BABY.

PUZZLE : FIND ITS PAPA. The Beach Gives it Best. Aud Does Not Think Much of Maud's Modesty. The adjourned hearing of the affiliation case m Featherston m which Timothy Benton, on behalf of Maud Benton, proceeded against one Roland Tocker for the support of an illegitimate child of which Maud is the mamma, was resumed at the Featherston S.Ms. Court on Monday last before Mt W. James, S.M. It will be recollected that when the case was before the Court m December of last year, an adjournment was made m order to enable the defence to call two witnesses named Fuge and Cundy, who, it was alleged, had elf ared out when trouble loomed large on the horizon.Mix J. W. Card appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr C. Pownall represented Tocfcer, who loudly denied any responsitility m the bump given the birth-rate. Tn opening the case for the defence, Mr Pownall stated that he proposed calling further evidence besides the two witnesses .Gundy and Fuge, whom he proposed to TREAT AS HOSTILE WIT- ' NESSES. As far as the case had gone the Whole "-f-hijig was highly improbable. He then called Gilbert Cundy, farmhand, K'ahvaewae, who said he knew of the previous hearing on 2nd December. TT lc saw Benton a few days before the case came on, and witness was"i*-~n informed that he wpul-d We subpoenaed. He also asked witness if Ik had had an., thing to do with the girl. Ben ton also spoke to Pugb. Witness saw Fuge after the cnnVerg'<d'_ n with liq-iion, and deckled, as o-»> was a c-oi-sMi ;v.d the other a neighbor,' to <-et;p out of it. I7'e/ went a- a nn Fri-'-u ■'•o'rning, and / came b-''-. on iV.'o'-'f'.ay af-joinpon 'about 5 o'clock. ITe remembered working at Williams's m- 'January, 1 9(>7. bivvesti'g T "e bad lea about !->•■< if-past seven. The girl Benton ' was" there one night betv ~, 7ai d S. She wtrtt awny ou her bike. Witness got bis 'ho;se .thl left a minute <■. (wo. after ards. Ele -did iv-t m-*et hr-r on the -■r- A ) or fro m jhe JTh>?ol acre, and he woul-l b'.' seryrised .if it was proved #.a ; t, e „.,<, t ber-on the roajl. T > and th'- . ; iri lived hi the same vicinity. ■>n ' ' c ■••< ver s) o^e to .young \ Tocker a'-o t Iv ' r-e ..mi I did not tell birr, h- ha<<. b---en inl ; 7M-<te v, ilh Mk rir). • n an-,wpr i. 0 Mr (\-vd be sr.-'.d tJ.u c'i rsa.rr.-p va ■ it<ii? a nvi-e fr.nn. ''Wil--■Ha- to Ie t'- n's. '•d- a'.' T ars Fujre. swore he bad n>e ver b"W! intjma<e wttji the fdrl. Ele. left rh>" ' di--f'ijpt on Friday with Curd? ."n«i vppM- to the. Lake- and stopped ti I .] th? ear.i- wa?-' over. -He did t l -"- nartlr on )--j« oen .su«s*ry»stion and par tlr cii^at of Cindy's. They fcad 'al'fvd it over avd decided to jret. out of 'h-p vax. F-c v.'.ti* not r.*lai'_d to pOhAr of Wic parties, and he had ■J*»ard that ; be was getHng dredit for ha-'ing a hand m the -busi neRS. Re Vne*' a , man nsu^d Hatfon, but be did not tell hun that toe v ■■ ever familiar with the. girl. H;e would do-ny it now. He did not say that a man namte-d MnDo-nald bad carried on with Maud or anyone else. McDonald was^ a friend .of his. He knev/ a m<_n named Kempton but did not tell him that he had been naughty wit'< Maud Benton. Fji-> had no dispute with KVempton, though he had a bit of a grievance about a hit of scandal three years ago. Be didn't want, to be mixed up m this afP /•-. He had some words with Benton, senr., same- time ago. Kempton had fiai-d that witness'" was • h^vinfii a good timo with Miss Benton, and he told Benton that IT WAS ONLY SCANDAL and that 'he could !o what he liked. He was away after that for twelve months. This was three years abo. Witness was afraid this 'might be brought up against him. ' John Hubert Hatton, laborer, Kiaewaewae, swore that he had heard' about the trov'b-le that brought about this case. Fuge had told b*m that he had liad immoral relations with Benton's girl. This must have been a-b-out eighteen months ago. . He also told him. that Sid McDonald had been famuliar with her. Fuge . had volunteered this information during a conversation. Fuge said that he went to Greytown with Sid McDonald, to meet her. Fuge hurried the other girl home and then came back and met Maud Benton and took her home. He said both ..himself 'and Sid McDonald had carried on with her that evening. , Rupert Edward William.s, farmer, Kaewaewae, swore that he remembered the harvesting on the 16th January. Miss Benton and Cundy were both there. They had tea .a little after 7 o'clock, and bptii left, the house within a minute or two of one another. One left on a bike, the other on horseback. Both homes were m the same direction. Dad not see them together, Oil-Tries Edward Kempton, farm manager, K>ae\yaewae, swore he knew about the trouble that brought on this case. Fuge had told him that when Miss Benton was stopping at I bis place he had had a 'good time with her. Fuge volunteered this information. Miss Benton used to stop at Fuge's. This was about two years, J ago. That day Fuge asked him out- '■ side the Court not to say anything sArout what he had said. He would swear that neither Tim Benton or Feast came to him about Fuge going . away. Fuge and witness were friend- j ly and had bad no disagreement. | Henry Galver, farmer, Kaewaewae, ! mew Maud Benton and young Tocker md Cundy. Remembered going aong the road at Kaewaewae between the 10th ard 20-th January one evenng between 7 and B 'o'clock, and saw i couple going along together. Took r.bern to be Maud Benton and Cundy. [t was half-way between Williams's md the school. They were about 150 yards away. The man was leadrg a torse. ('ha'-les Roland Tocker, defendant, nvore' I bat Fuige and Cundy. had ;r>o'' p n'to him abo"t the ease. Cnndv aid be had ',X -ereWb'ctcd hj'vsplf vi"- v-riud rvn'<~n m lb" veboo' aenii Y' il'i-vms's >a - e<t. Tie vn'in'lci-.