SORRENSON'S SORROWS

NZ Truth, Issue 407, 12 April 1913, Page 7

SORRENSON'S SORROWS

A Covey from Kaiwarra. Pilloried and Pinched on a Paternity Pother. He Had No Intention To Marry The Girl. (From "Truth's" Chrfstchurolt Rep.) In tiie irkgistra'te's Court; Ghrist-chw-ch,"'an J Wednesday^ iasffTstf.^^r. A. B. Bailey, S.M., ordered^. Victor Spencer Sorrenson to contribute 7s 6d a week towards the support of • ''his illegitimate child. The application of Mr. M. Donnellyt (who conducted the case for the mother of the child) for £24 Is arrears of payment, maternity, legal and witnesses' expenses, was also granted. Constable Meiklejohn, who brought Sorrenson down from Wellington, gave evidence of HAVING ARRESTEP HIM ; . r m a street off Cuba-street. son had then made a statement^tb. the constable intimating^that. he--did. not ; consider himseif.-,resp.onsiiile il> (> v The foregoing- evidence : p.fj n th!e r . constable was taken on Tudsday afternoon, and the constable returned to Wellington by the boat that night. Resuming the hearing on Wednesday morning, the mother of the child, a decently-dressed woman, who apparently keenly felt her posi-t tion, submitted her evidence. The child, she said, was born on April, 13, -1910. Defendant was its. father, and had never ■contributed :ctowards its support. ■■ •FroW^'priF tb' October of the : previous;-; year he 1 had constantly kept := 'coiiipany -with-' her ■» at Temuka, 'where sfie ! 'was* employed- as a hotel domestic:.^ ! 'During' that 'time they had frequently visited; and had tea at her married sister's, and Sorrenson had frequently kissed her and TAKEN HER ON HIS KNEE m her sister's presence. Whim she broke the news of her condition to him he said he would marry. her. at Tknaru. However,: he left Temuka'on October. 3, :six months

before the birth of the child, and although he saw her and was talking- to her on the night before his departure; he did not mention that be was going away. Witness had kept company Avith no other man during Sorrenson's stay m Temuka, and was not susceptible to any adVances of the sex. Before the birth . of the child she had taken out a warrant for Victor Spencer's arrest on the ground of his%being the father' of an unborn child, but nothing further had .been done. Under cross-examination by Mr. R. Leatham (counsel for the defence) , witness said that no familiarity that she was ashamed of had ever taken 'place between her and defendant in 'front 7 of her sister. Her .c.ondit]iqn" t was l 'ilrst 'cl'fscWered m July,' and " defendant after' giving her some pills which he procured from a Temuka chemist promised to marry her. She told her sister of her condition after defendant had left Temuka. The sister of the "woman m the case" gave evidence. She had seen defendant kissing her sister and saw her on his knee when they were m witness's house. They frequently went to her place, and always left just before 10 p.m. ; Of course '*.<? didn't know what took place 'on their, way to the hotel where the girl was-em-ployed. . . '..;._ Sorrenson, who described himself as a farm employee at Kaiwarra, Wellington, admitted his acquaintance with the girl. At first he wasn't sure whether he kissed her and TOOK HER ON HIS KNEE when he and she were at the. previous witness's place. But, on thinking the matter out, nevertheless, he admitted the kissing part of the programme, although he would swear he never took the girl on his knee. No misconduct had taken place between the pair. Pie was sure of that, and did not have any idea that paternal obligations were accredited to him until ho was arrested. Ho went away from Temuka with no particular object m view.- : ■ ! " -' ■ ■• ■ ' Cross-examined by Mr. Donnelly, 'witness said that while he was keeping company with the girl at Temuka he had no intention of marrying her. Ho went out with her about three times a week, and although he saw her a couple of nights before he left TemuUa ho didn't tell her of HIS PROPOSED DEPARTURE. His Worship: Why didn't you? Sorrenson: I didn t tnink it was necessary. Some further legal sparring closed the [ case for the defence. In addition to the payment of the fini imposed, the magistrate, on the application of Mr. Donnel'y, ordered. Sorrenson to report .himself to the police at Welling ton on .his arrival the following day, .mci to. find sureties m £100 for the payment of the amounts named by Friday.