" AFTER THE BALL!"

NZ Truth, Issue 180, 28 November 1908, Page 5

" AFTER THE BALL !"

THE PORNOGRAPHIC PRANKS OF PERCY JOHNSTON.

Ravishes a Young Woman at Dunedin.

A STAGGERING SENTENCE OF TWELVE YEARS' GAOL.

Justice Williams Would Not Order a Flogging.

Percy Jobiston,. a whipper-snapper of eighteen, went to a dance at South Dunedin on the night of September 1, and up to a certain point, had a gay and gorgeous time. There were girls galore, the music was dreamy, voluptuous, and inspiriting by turns, and as the iocuml Johnston tripped it joyously with his partners fair, the world seemed as brightas a young bride's visions. Had Percygone home "after tiie ball v " like any de,ceut young fellow all would have been well for him. But this unspeakable young animal proved to 'oe anything but decent. He showed himself to be a brutal bestial, blackguardly biped, not fit to 'be at large amongst swine, much less respectable women and girls. With an his loathsome, , licentious passions aroused by the innocent amusement of the ball room, this young monster, after leaving the hall, deliberately and relentlessly committed the most serious, crime m the calender, next .to murder-rape with violence. The victim was a. young girl of eighteen, and SHE WAS SAVAGELY MALTREATED by .this disgusting degenerate. Johnston p'aiu sue penalty ot his callous crime on Monday; last, when he was brought before Mr Justice Williams at the Dunedin Supreme Court. He was chareed with having raped Eileen Royal on the night of • September 1, There were two minor counts, but accused, who was not represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to the major charge. 'It was no uWdoina; anytuiug else, considering^ the evidence. A short, tow-headed, bare-faced larrikin, with nice clean collar and cufis,. .he looked barmU bs enough m the dock, but the story of the girl victim proved him to be a young monster. Her depositions from the lower court were put m by the prosecutionj and the story of the- crime is told by witnesses as fol°Eileen , Royal deposed that she was 18 years qI age and lived m. Maclafsiranstreet. "On jfceptunLer 1 1, at 25 minutes to eight," she continued, "I left home to go to a dance m the South ■Dunedin Town Hall." I met two girl friends and we went, to the dance tof;ther, remaining there till about 10.30. he last dance was a waiitz and 1 saw accused' m the hall then for the first timei He was a stranger to me. After the dance was over I was standing m the lobby m front with the two Marks girls and a youns; oriah named James Smith. Vihle standing there accused passed into the street bare-headed and stood at the door.- . Eva Marks and Ethel MarkSj James Smith and a young man whose name I don't know and myself left the hall and walked towards King Edward-road. When we got a little distance away from the hall, the accused, who was coming along behind, called to me, 'Hold on, I'm coming along with you.'- I didn't answer but walked on. Accused came along and WALKED BESIDE US a* far as • Cargill-road, wken we all turned down towards* Anderson's Bayroad. The Marks girls and Smith were .m front, of us, not far away, Ethel Marks and a youna; fellow crossed over Cargill-road, and Eva Marks and Smith ran to catch a car. Accused and I went on into Anderson's Bay-road and walked towards town. We crossed the road near the new railway bridge on to the waterside of Andrson's Bay-road. During this time accused was asking me about a dance that Adam Uarr conducted. We ' continued until we came to Cumberlahd--1 street, and accused asked me to gp along that street. I refused and said it was dark and I wanted to get home. We crossed then to the Oval side and walked along the road together. We came to two panels on the fence of the Oval opposite ' the foot of Orawfordstreet. Accused said: 'We are getting near town now and I am not going throuph town- because I have got no hat on.' He asked me to take a short cut through the Oval to Maitland-street, which would be a short way home for me. Accused did not tell me where he lived, but I had previously heard him remark that he was^ a cousin of Steve Boreham's. We went throueh the panels together and walked m the direction of Maitland-. Ireet along a path through the Oval. Accused was walking on my left-hand side and he put his rieht arm round my neck. ,1 RAN AWAY FROM HIM along the path; Accused then came up from behind and put one hand over my mouth, and with, the other hand got hold of me by the throat, and put his knee into my back. We struggled together and he pulled me down on the ground;".' ■ • At great length the girl described, m detail, the brutal nature of' Johnston's assault on her virtue. ' She struggled and fought with the infuriated animal. He threatened to choke her, and though she screamed ihe was unable to free herself from her assailant's lecherous embraces. She threatened to give him m charge and /Johnston's retort was, "No, you won't do that." Still endeavoring to effect his \ile purpose, he tried to stifle her cries by plaoing his hand over her mouth, and even struck her on the nose. Eventually the beast succeeded m accomplishing his diabolical deed. The girl screamed and struggled and two men rushed to the scene. Then it was that Poimoirapbic Percy desisted. He left the girl and ran for his life. Eileen went on to say, . . ; -■•■■■:■• "I -MUST ' HAVE FAINTED for I do not remember any more till Detective McLeod shook me." Her mouth and hose was bleeding, the result of Johnston's cowardly assaults. Her clothing was torn, tattered, and dirty, and were clean when she put . them on that fateful, likewise fatal, evening. Evelyn Marks, 17, told the story of the dancej and what occurred until she left Eileen. "I ' asked accused if his name' Was Boreham," added Evelyn, "and he said : "No, but I am a relative of Cop. Boreha.m.' Cop. Borebam is known as Steve Boreham." ~ x - William Power, hospital porter living at 10 Dick-street, South Dunedin, stated that at 11.15 on the night mamed he . was on his way home near the Oval, when he was attracted by the screams of a female. When" near the Farmers' Arms Hotel he . crossed over to see what the row was all about as the screaming still continued. He was joined by aMr Marrett, and the screams were still repeated at intervals. He heard a man's voice, but could not distinguish the words. They went into the Oval about 40 or 50 yards from* the street, and found a man m a compromising position with a woman. Marrett said, "What game's this ?" The woman said : "Take him away ; stop him." The man then ran m the direction of the Southern Hotel', and Power, and Marrett chased him but couldn't catch him. They returned to the girl and FOUND HER UNCONSCIOUS, lying on her back. From the time he first, heard her screaming till he arrived on the scene was about flv*e minutes. Shortly after "Tec. McLeod arrived. Percy Marrett, carpenter, living m 'Walter-street, CarisbrooK, corroborated Power* ■ Joseph Brown; livery-stable keeper, of Manor-place, Duaedin, was driving near the Farmers' Arms at the time and beard the screams of the female*

" Feeler Bobbie Young arrested Fercy at 12.15 a.m. on September 2. Fercy was cool when confronted and said ' he ,. had beem seeing a girl home; Asked if he had assaulted a girl at the Oval HE REPLIED, "YES." On the road to South Dunedin Police station, Johnston -observed- airily, "1 expected this." He volunteered an incriminating statement. The knees of accused's trousers were covered ■ with mud, and when charged with the offence at the station he again admitted his guilt. 'Tec. McLeod told how at 11.15 on the fateful night, whilst at his home m Leesstreet, he heard screams m the Oval, a nd went to investigate. He met Power and Marrett and found. Eileen lying on the •grass m a fainting condition. Her hair was dishevelled and she had. no hat on. Her mouth and nose were bleeding /and her clothes were disarranged. The ground where the girl was lying was all torn about as if a struggle had taken place. Medical evidence was giver, by Dr. William Evans. ' When asked if he had anything' to say, the prisoner remained mute, but handed m a written statement, m which he denied using violence. In reply to his Honor the police stated that Johnston had been a cleaner m the railway sheds, but ! was sacked and had since done laboring work. His record was bad. On September 27, 1,906, he was convicted of theft at Dunedin and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon. In passing sentence the Jud^e said :— "The offence of which you have pleaded guilty is one of the most serious known to the law. I have read your statement and you say you never struck her.' The appearance of the girl, as disclosed by the depositions, absolutely contradicts that statement ; you must have used violence. You are young, truly, but there is no reason why astern sentence should not be passed. , • „-■;'' I WILL, NOT ORDER A FLOGGING because, to my mind, it is- better that; there Should be a long sentence without flogging than a short sentence with flogging. It is better for society that persons who do this sort of thing shouM be kept away for as long a period as possible. The sentence of the Coprt is that you be imprisoned for a term of twelve years with hard labor.. „ . This staggering sentence seemed to stun the prisoner, and he went "below without a. word, like one m a dream. . .