CRIMES ON CHILDREN.

NZ Truth, Issue 340, 30 December 1911, Page 7

CRIMES ON CHILDREN.

jSOME ...AY/FUL ALLEGATIONS.

•One -Accused Committed for Sentencei r' " ■ ■■■ > ?t-'-' A visitor to- Wellington Magistrate's Court on Wednesday last might well Tje excused if he hastily concluded that he had lighted upon one of the most jmmoral spots on the face of the earth. "Ehe court was occupied the greater pdi-t p'f the day }{i the investigation of cages'; of va sexual character. ;;^*l talljj man of the laboring class,. immed'lJ^wis. Witten, otherwise Henry ijewis' Witteri, 44 years of age, was changed with indecent exposure m itoxburgh- street, and also with indecent assault upon a female child of six years, at Clyde Quay, both on December 13, the latter offence being qommitted within a- quarter of an hoxuafter.the; former, and the facts in" both cases ■. ibeing . of, a. particularly revolting nature, . Great credit is due to Mr. .George Beveridg-a, caretaker of the Clyde Quay 'school, for his promptitude IN HOLDING" THE OFFENDER m custody pend,i. the arrival of the police. Witten was committed for trial on lioth cliarges. " '" A shockingly sordid case was that ■of a miserable-looking weed of an in■dividual of undersized proportions, gained -Arthur .Thompson, said to be. an .Australian, ,30 years of .age, who pfead'ecl guilty to attempted rape upon the 15-year-old daughter of the 7 wonian". : w^th whoni lie • Had been living idi? ' se y^ erdr^years.' : ?: The offence was corii-_Hiittad~.at-.Kilbirnie_.on... December ...9.. Thompson was committed to the Su-gDreme-Cou^t.for .sentence. . -'■"' A.dreadfnl outrage was perpetrated at Petone on Saturday, December 2, -when a.4iny SU*l of nine years.- of age was criminally assaulted by a miscreant who inflicted terrible injuries upon the child, who for a time " REMAINED IN A CRITICAL CONDI- -..._ Ti . Q . 3S rand is still-laid up m bed. v Subse;auentiy;; a young man named Albert' Henry Hughes, described as ;n : labbr,er,-. v/as arrested on suspicion, and on -Wednesday- he- was-charged .with .carnal . knowledge of a child under ten years of age. The evidence , of. Mr. J. ; A. Hurley, Government Bacteriologist, w.a's taken, bearing upon certain ; clothing han.ded to him by Detective Andrews; and then Chief Detective Broberg ap--plied for a remand,, which .was .granted until, .-next ..Friday, December 29, bail being allowed; m the sum of £100. A. further remand will probably beneces-!sa-ry.- - -- - - — -