DYER THE DADDY.

NZ Truth, Issue 170, 19 September 1908, Page 5

DYER THE DADDY.

A BRAT HE DISOWNED.

The Widower and His Housekeeper.

His Story was Inconceivable.

An affiliation case with some astonish- j ing features was heard m Ohristchurch S.M. Court recently, /when it was shown that Chas. Dyer's housekeeper .lived with him for nine months and gave birth to a. child m the house, "yet Dyer, who is storeman, for Treleavan and C 0.., denied paternity, without suggesting . who the father was. The. girl's name is Annie Sutton, a fair person of diminutive stature, apparently about three foet nothing, "who acknowledged that this was riot ;her pioneer effort m the child-toearing line*. Esquired by Solicitor Harvey, she told her simple story of the trust reposed, m deceitful man. She went to housekeep for Dyer (who is a widower with cne child) on October 23, 1907. The man accosted her m the street and offered her the job, which carried a remuneration of 8s per week. Dyer's immoral attentions were somewhat abrupt for he " succeeded m effecting his fell object on the third day, or rather night. • The sin was committed nightly for a week, and thereafter, . m the words of the girl, "he did it pC and on" until he discovered- he had got her into trouble. The child was bern on July 26 last, when the young woman was attended by Dr. Thomas ,iCf Sydenhain, who. was told by Dyer he (the storeman) would -.be responsible. Some interestiHg' facts came out m the cross-examination by Lawyer Donnelly^ who appeared fcr , Dyer., After ' the baby's birth she. went to her parents 7 ' place, primarily because her mother was ill. Dyer didn't appear to. be at all proud of his illegitimate offspring, and wouldn't look at it. This was the girl's second child, but she had never been unwell AS THE RESULT OF PREVENTATIYES after sexual intimacy prior to the birth of kid No. one, "which was fathered by a person named George Cook. She sued Cook for maintenance, but lost her case because the unscrupulous male .person had lied , to . the Court. Prior to going to Dyer's,- Annie was doing work\ m Wilson 1 s-road, at 6s. per ,day , for people whose names she couldn't .recollect at the time. She acknowledged that the screw was fairly good, and it wasn't that she didn't want to recollect the names : either. Dyer bou-rh!; Ler .medicine- to get rid of the token of their amours, and said he would give her a pound if she wojuld get rid cf it. Dyer's first attack upon Her virtue was made m the bedroom about 12 o'clock at night, at which unseemly hour he entered and\asfced if her T.indow was shut. He then, offered; to keep her, company : through the /lonely hcurs of the night, but she demurred, suppose he should get her into trouble 7 lie said there was no fear- pf that, and he suggested a simple operation, which Mr Donnelly swore the girl knew all about from previous experience. She didn't tell anybody that Dyer had entered' her room against her will, and that he had raped her. After the first night everything was easy ; Dyer came m every night- for a, week, then slowed cfi, and was not so constant after three months, when she told him she was. m trouble. "What about getting married?" sh© asked him, but he refused to. entertain the 'idea. He said he would see a chemist and find out what couJ,d be done. Her mother discovered her condition and taxed her with it. Dyer had gone to her mother and. 'father towards the end and said he was gcing so get another housekeeper; She was indignant, and said he ; would have., to give heir a week's notice. She became alarmed and pleaded with him to allow her to stay' on with' him ; she did it because HE WAS THE FATHER OF HER , CHILD. He had done so, and had paid her 8s per week right up to. the time of her confinement. She > always called him "Mr Dyer." Somebody told her to call him "Charlie;" but she didn't do it. "He never used to call me anything," said ;the girl, ami.dst laughter. .When- he was away at work she had no regular- visitors, excepting • men with sewing machines, hawkers, and the like. She denied that these casual visitors left their .vehicles and .bikes standing outside for upwards of half an hour, while they were m the house. She- often yarned* to them considerably at the door, but they didn't enter the house. - . Dr.. Thomas gave evidence respecting the birth. of the child. Dyer came over for him, ,and the medico remarked, "Of course you' hold yourself responsible . for this case, 11 to which tire doctor understood the man to say, "Yes."

the defence was a denial of paternity. Dyer, who sard he had been m his present employment six years, stated that his wife ' dieii on November 25, 1006, and he had since been , compelled to run his establishment with housekeepers. He knew the Sutton family lor years, and had. gone to school with the girl's brotb3fs,,- He accc'sted" Annie m the street, and asked her it she wanted a job ; told he had sacked his last housekeeper because she rarivhim- into -debt, and because of her undesirable habits. Eight shillings a week was the girl's own proposal. She. explained her position and. the existence of her first illegitimate child, which interfered with her chances of getting wotk ; but Dyer didn't regard the encumbrance with an unfriendly eye. He went to see her parents, . and the engagement was made with their authority and sanction. It was not true that HE WENT INTO THE GIRL*S BEDROOM at midnight, and fie never had blushful •intercourse with the girl at any time. He first heard she Avas m trouble when she had been with him six months; His brother-in-laY told him. That individual remarked, "I don't Know if you khow'yit or not, Charlie, but the neighbors are talking about your housekeeper. ■ They say she 'is m the family way." Dyer was shocked and surprised, and taxed the Rirl with it next : morning. "So it is true what the neighbors are saying?" he asked her, but she protested lhat any person who made such statements about her Were telling lies. She burst into tears and went away to her room. Returning later, she confessed that it was all true. Her eyes flashed, and she said to the astounded Dyer, '%* intend tc blame you for it.!" Magistrate Bishop asked Mr Donnelly If it was actually a fact that this man had permitted the woman, to remain, m the hoiuse, for three months after he learned she was m the- family " way and had been informed by her that she intended to blame him. Counsel said that appeared to be the case, whereupon his Worship hinted . that he considered the circumstance to be fatal to the defendant's case. Dyer said that -lie saw the gitl's, parents, and the old man asked him if he had any objection to the girl remaining at his house until she could get seme place that would receive her. ' * •THE GIRL ALSO PLEADED with him to permit her to stofl^ until she got some money together m vieyr of her confinement. Counsel : Why did you allow her to stay after she said she was . going to blame you ? — She had no place to go to. I didn't see any harm m it. He ' had made no . arrangements m connection with the ' nurse or doctor. The girl had since applied tc ,be taken back, and bad< ottered to besat^ isfied with 8s a week as heretofore, and pay all her own expenses. Magistrate Bishop held that Dyer's tale was inconceivable and inconsistent with common sense. Defendant was adjudged putative father of the howler, towards the support of' which he was ordered to pay the sum ol 7s Cd per week ; he was also made liable for the cost of the proceedings and the doctor's fee; and ordered to find a bond of £100.