PAYS THE PENALTY.

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 6

PAYS THE PENALTY.

Love-making at Halswell. A father may be a very happy one or a most disconsolate one ; it all depends upon the circs. The male parent of a bouncing illegitimate never feels too bright. If' "be has got plenty of spans the keep of baby dear won't trouble him,' perhaps ; if .he hasn't he either works a' bit harder for the seven and six which the little joy costs, or he does a get. John Beaton, a youngish individual, adopted the latter course. He was living at Halswell, Canterbury,. and '.vas working for Pringle, the trotting gent, among other people, so he alleges, and made love to a girl named Streeter but that way. The result was that immoral intercourse took place, and the . subsequent result wasn't -very 'happy for the girl,: because Beaton wouldn't marry her, although he had promised to. He toay have thought that he had good cause not to keep his promise, because he said, when arrested and placed on trial at Christchurch Police Court that others had been CARRYING ON HANKY PANKY with Streeter besides himself. The question of dates cropped, up as usual and -defendant contended tbat he couldn't ihave been the father of tbe hipper. • One witness entered the box and said that he had been out with the girl himself and had been intimate with her, and another averred that he took her home, and she\ tried to induce him through a window, also she had taken liberties with hdnv He was so disgusted, so he said, that ho got on Ms .bike and rode- away. After counsel had threshed the matter out, the S.M adjudged Beaton to •be the putative father of the - child, and made the customary little order.