PEARSON PINCHED!

NZ Truth, Issue 168, 5 September 1908, Page 5

PEARSON PINCHED !

DUBIOUS DOCTOR DENOUNCED.

A Thief and Alleged Abortionist.

A Six Mouths' Sentence.

John Pearson, discredited Cliviatchurca medico, is a bad egg, if all account' are true ;- m fact the hen fruit they throw about at election times is sweet and fresh from tne fowl-yard m comparison with Pearson, who, as an egg of any description, \ would be an insult to any self-respecting hen. It will be recollected that Pearson was, acquitted by a jmy of the Supreme Court when charged with attempting abortion upon a short-skirt-ed damsel named Mary Jane Hamilton, but a second issue submitted to the twelve citizens and endorsed was ;tantamount to a .verdict of indecent assault. The. case was adjourned till Monday to permit Uscar Alpers, Pearson's advocate, to quote law on the subject of indecent assault, counsel concluding his address by representing that me real criminal ' was the bootmaker Hicks, who fathered the simple maiden's infant, and attempted to procure abortion by means of Pearson. In the earlier proceedings Pearson riad sworn that he was registered as a medical practitioner m lOngland . and New South Wales, but Crown . Hrosecutor Russell subsequently received intelligence from Sydney, branding Pearson as ■ a most undesirable person. He lied when he said he was registered m Sydney trnd as a matter of fact, he had practised m that city as an .unregistered doctor, and' had the reputation i •■ OF BEING A WHOLESALE ABOR- ' ■ '- TIONIST.His Honor remarked that if this were true, and it was quite what he expected, Pearson had been guilty of 1 perjury. Mr Russell said he was surprised that the accused should have sworn to registration m Sydney when' such facilities existed for procuring information: on the subject. Pearson had deserted his wife ' and children m Sydney, and treated them so disgracefully that they did not now desire to' have their address made known to him. in' Christchurch Pearson at bnfc time Jived with a woman named Chalk, who had been sentenced to a term. of. imprisonment lor abortion, and Pearson himself had been convicted of a small theft. ■ :..-■,■ "-" .His Honor said the man. Was a danger to society, and should be locked, up it there was power to do it; but the; juryhad acquitted him on the major OJttende. ' Mr "— *pers assumed that .m the event of imprisonment Pearson, would be permitted to take his medicine - for asthma. His Honor said of course the man would receive proper treatment. Mr Russell remarked that they haa" heard nothing from the gaol about his physical condition. ■„-.■. Addressing accused^ His Honor said that according to Pearson's own admission, he had been living m a bouse wherein there was no indication or suggestion that accused was a medical man. A young , man, by instinct they must assume, comes to Pearson and blurts out a desire that he should effect a miscarriage on this girl. Pearson's plain duty was to -have had nothing to do with the transaction,, but, upon his own admission he began to bargain with the young man and agreed to perform the operation for 4Us aown. ' Next day without any pretence of objection, th« man takes the girl, into his bedroom, tihe girl comes to Pearson's house, when, and, according to the evidence of the girl, Pearson proceeds to go through "What seems to her ; THT£ PROCESS OF ABORTION; The girl, leaves, but comes back again, and the man g6es through the same process. ISo the thing goes on, Finally there is some dispute about money, Mb* girl goes away, and five months after, io, child is. born. When Pearson is arrested, he tells the constable that he. certainly used an instrument on 'the girl, but' only for the purpose of seeing how far sbe was m the family-way. Peaison. first called evidence to describe the proper steps to take for the purpose of ascertaining the pregnancy of the girl, and Pearson represented himseii as going through these elaborate processes, although the accused could not have .ha d any real doubt m his mind as. 1o 110 girl's condition, and his explanation that he deceived the girl with tbe object of revealing her, condition to. her parents was an obvious absurdity. Had, taie jury known that the man had been previously engaged m this class of offence they would have treated him dillerently, hpt our law did not ,permit such evidence to |be given, mey acquitted him on the major crime and. convicted him of an offence, m the words of %he verdict, that the girl put herself ■m Pearson's hands for the purpose of having a miscarriage and Pearson 'did what he did .40" without the consent of the' girl and under the pretence voat he was doing that: which be was asked to do. It had been argued' that Pearson did not commit. an indecent assault, but his Honor's opinion was that he did do so. His Honor ! had to look to the motive. It was suggested that Pearson's motive had been a good one ;- it might be that his object had been • . •: i , SIMPLY TO PROCURE A FEE; but assuming that the jury's., verdict was cotrect it might be that it was -act so. In his Honor's mind Pearson had committed an indecent assault ; hj* defence was untrue, and the fact that he did not commit a miscarriage was . 4u* to the endeavor to get more money. I'he case called for a substantial penalty, and Pearson was sentenced to 6 months' imprisonment with bard labor. Mr Alpers intimated that the law points raised by him would be carried to the Court of Appeal, and> requested, that Pearspn should meantime be released on his own recognisances. His. Honor < didn't propose to admit the man to hail ; although if there "were any reasonable ground of belief m .his innocence he was entitled to be at large. The Court of Appeal would sit m; a months time, and his Honor Would intimate a .week hence his ' decision as "to Whether .Pearson would be allowed Tiail. Meantime the disgraced doctor would "be serving , his sentence, but instructions were; given tnat he was not to be put to hard labor ..for seven days.. . "