THE SAD JOY-RIDE.

NZ Truth, Issue 474, 18 July 1914, Page 4

THE SAD JOY-RIDE.

THE ACCUSED IN COURT. THE POTENCY Of " HEATHER DEW." Prisoners Remanded to Supreme Court. (From "Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) ,

At the Christchurch S.M.s Court" last week; before Mr. "Tab" Bailey, S.M., the Copper Department played its four aces m connection with the notorious Kaiapoi joy-ride case. The case created a big chunk of public interest, or curiosity, and last week's Court proceedings were v consequently ' staged before a bumper attendance. Thomas Patrick Heade and James Salt were each charged with administering a noxious thing, to wit, whisky, to one Winnie Williams, a female under the age of fifteen, with intent to annoy. The charge was brought under section 203 of the Crimes Act, which renders a person guilty of such a charge liable to three years' gaol with hard labor. - '.''.' Heade was represented by "Costs" Cassidy, whilst Lawyer Donnelly ar-. gued the point on behalf *of Salt, the driver of the taxf m which the joyride was taken. ; Sub- Inspector McKinnon represented lornorder, and set the ball rolling by calling Winifred Grace Williams, the "heroine,", a rather pretty piece of goods wearing half' a yard of fair hair and a neat outfit of other feminine incidentals. Winnie recollected the momentous Sunday on which she, her

cousin (Eva McKcnzie), and. the two accused did a heavy down Kaiapoi wayjL Heade and the two girls boarded Salt's stink coach m Christchurch, an'd;"madc for a local pubbery, where Headeijvas hanging out Heade went into the hotel and secured A BOTTLE OF "HEATHER DEW," the party then motoring on to Kaiapoi. The bonded cargo, was broached on the way, and Winnie surounded a drop. She remembered that Heade had the bottle, but she couldn't say for certain whether he or Salt gave her the whack of its contents.- ;At Kaiapoi, the party surrounded' some light refreshments, and then paid a visit to Mrs. Giles, Salt's auntie, when Win.nie had another "spot" of whisky. From the" time the car left Giles's, Winnie's mind was a blank until she found herself m the hands of *he v p6lice. Cross-examined, Winnie .reckoned Cousin Eva would? be twenty next birthday. No, mother and auntie didn't know the girls were going, to Kaiapoi. Winnie had known Salt slightly for eighteen months, but shn only met "Heade on the day of the joy ride. • Grace Mason, a satin and fur-clad female with evidences of bygone beauty and a microscopic , bump of chastity, claimed 'maternal responsibility m respect to Winnie, who was described as a hysterical girl, whose age she set down at fittoen years. The evidence was admitted, despite Lawyer Donnelly's protest that it was unnecessary considering 1 that the Court was not discussing a sexual offe cc. Wlnnio's cousin, Eva McKenzle, a rather comely brown-chid and brass button-bound female, Winnie's evidence up to the time the lid was tuken off the whisky bottle on the wny to Kaiapoi. She didn't «cc any whisky surrounded on the run out, or at Giles's. On the Sub's suggestion, the S.M. labelled Eva a hostile witness. Continuing, Eva admitted having stated to Sergeant Bird, when she was questioned just after the Joy ride, that she had had some whisky at Giles's. Heudc was tht- only one who surrounded nock-oil at Giles's. JSva, mul her first nip of whisky on the run home, and Winnie and Hoade had some at this same time, Heudo reckoning that a SMALL NIP WOULD KEEP THE COLD OUT. A» the enr whs neurlng Christen urch, Wliuile commonced acreagiing, but the motor wus not stopped until Rollcstonuvenuo waa reached, when Winnie became extra voluble, and three young men ran alongside of tho- cur, and. Jumping" on tho foolbourd, asked \vhnt wus wrong with tho girl Inside tho cnr. Salt wtopped tlu: ear. and Kvn, who was sitting with him m tho driver's went, ulishted Just «« two womon came up tind took Winnie away. Eva Jumped aboard again and the car wuh drlvon around the corner In. order that a crowd would not collect. After waiting for some time, Salt drove buck to Rolleston-avenuo and could not find Winnie although inquiries were made. Heado left the car when Winnie did. Being unable to flnd the; missing flapper, Salt and Eva drove awuy.. .Under cro8«-cx(nnlnation concerning the. statement she had mudo to Sergeant Ulrd, Eva g^ v « wuy to ttuirs, but was abjured from Auntie Grace, from tho Imi-k of the Court, to 'keep her pluck up." Salt's auntie. Hnnntih Mnrlo Gllea, ut whOßo residence the party pulled up, reckoned Hhe hsul awtf "only Winnlo luivi- some whlnky—siWut a tublc(tituouful. "Aunth»" luid udviHCd the Klrls not to uiko the whisky. «» xU's didn't jipprovu of young people drinking Hpirit.s. At thtx MtxiKc. tin.? vatic war* udjourn-i-.J tmtil the followittK day. The S.M. uJlcd tho wIUicHJSCS forwiml and JLtiwycc DouudJy roao tp uok; "Mm you

binding these "witnesses over, your Worship?" — I- am. Well, I've never heard of such a thing before. I must protest. It's a curious course to follow and shows that YOU, INTEND TO COMMIT THE ACCUSED. ~ No I- don't, Mr. Donnelly. Well, I've never heard of such a course being taken. Is your Worship binding the witnesses over to appear at the Supreme Court? •:' ■ . That's the course I intended to take. "H'm, »before the case is "finished!" was Mr. Donnelly's parting shot, as he gathered up his hat. . When the hearing was resumed, the Sub-Inspector called Harry Oobsbn, slaughterman, Belfast. Dobson reckoned he was biking along the KaiapoiBelfast road at about eight o'clock on the night of the joy ride. He was, passing a, motor car, which was pulled up at the side of the road,, and he heard, a girl m the back seat screaming. He stopped to see what was up. and heard a girl say, "God forgive me, I'm drunk." The motor, car started, but stopped a mile lower down, the road, and Dobson caught up to it again. It passed him for the last time two miles further on. The girl was screaming all the time. Stanley Lee, stableman, introduced a whiff of melodrama, m relating the part he played m the affair. He was m the vicinity of the P^rk-terrace and Salisbury-street intersection (city), at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, when a motor glided past him, and he heard a passenger, evidently a girl, scream, "Help! He's killing me!" A fellow who was with Lee said, "Catch his number," referring to the car. Lee" was not quick enough to distinguish the number, but his mate was. After the car had gone some distance further on, the girl screamed again, and Lee and his pal gave chase. They caught up with the car m front of Christ's College, where it had stopped. As it was moving on again, Lee and; his mate swung themselves on, to the footboard, and, at the same time, another man, whom they did not know, hopped on to the back, of the vehicle. Lee asked tbe driver to pull up, which he did. Lee asked the girl what was the matter/ with her. She asked him to take, her away, and as soon as he opened the cab door, she TUMBLED INTO HIS ARMS. The driver intimated that he didn't want a! scene. Heado was sitting m

the roar of the oar, and, to Lee's query concerning the condition of the girl, he replied that it was a. pity if a fellow couldn't take his cousins to a friend's pluco and have a couple of shandies. Winnie's hair was hanging down her back and disordered.' When the driver set the car going again, tho fellow? who had been m the back seat was missing. Tho two 'accused wero tho men Lee had seen m tne car. Lawyer Cassldy: What (ltd you ask Heado? — 1 asked him what he npeant by giving girls beer. What right had you to ask that? You weren't n detective. Yon said tho girl's hair was hanging down her back. Don't you know It's always hanging down her baqk? — Yes. 1 but It was disordered. Lee reckoned the thatch of both flappers was at sixes and sevens. Lawyer Casstdy: You made quite h scone. Quite like a gallant knight rushing to tho rescue of a damsel In distress. The Sub: 1 think It did him credit. The S.M.: And so do 1. Mr. Cttsaldy: How did tho other man

manage to got m tho back of the car? — You had better ask him. No, I won't ask him. I'm asking you, and don't you be impertinent The S.M:: Mr. Cassidy, I won't allow you to continue on that lino of crossexamination. There's been enough j time waited already.. You are "PLAYING TO THE GALLERY," i and I'll not permit you to continue on I that. line fit cross-examination. Lee said that after the girl got out of the car," she stood for a while with the two ladles. In Lee's opinion, i Winnie was drunk. William Harold Victor, who, with Lee, chased the car, corroborated Lee's evidence. , He also stated the number of the car, and added that when Winnie alighted, her dress appeared to b 3 pulled down on one side. Alfred Charles Brown said he was m Roileston -avenue when . the joyriders passed him. He heard a girl screaming and he ran towards the car, and reached it just as it pulled up. He asked what was the matter, and was. told that the passenger was peing lumbered to the hospital. The ' car started off again then, and - Brown chased it. He caught up and climbed over to the driver, whom he told to : pull up. The driver said he was going to the hospital, and Brown reckoned he would accompany the party. A man at the back of the car wanted to know what the matter had, to do with Brown. The car was pulled up by Salt, who. said, "Look what a mess you've got me and my car into." Brown reckoned there was a girl lying on the front seat of the car, next to the driver. Tho man m the back of, the car told Brown that the party had had a glass of champagne; When the girl got out of the car, a lady friend of Brown's, and another woman, took her away. SHE WAS JUST ABOUT "ALL IN." but' managed to say, "It wasn't- Jim . Salt; it was the other one." Continuing, Brown said that he had heard the girl calling, "Help, police!"' Heade had one of the girl's hats on when Brown boarded the car. John Hop Jesse Edgar gave evidence of having, at 9.30 p.m. on June 14,. found Winnie WiUtanis m Rollestonavenuo m a drunken state; m charge of another young lady. The girl's hair was disordered and her blouse was pulled out of her skirt, which was , partly open at th,e side.' The girl was arrested, and, on the following day. she pleaded guilty to a chargo of drunkenness. : Copper Bickerdike reokoned he invited Salt, on June 15, to hop along to the police station. In Salt's car witness found the half -empty whisky bottlo (produced). Salt claimed it, and explained that he had been out wHh a party on the previous day and had not had time to look through the car since he brought it back. This, wjth the evidence of Salts arrest, concluded the case for the prosecution. On Monday morning, counsel for the accused addressed the Bench. "Costs" Donnelly, on behalf of Salt, submitted that no - off ence had been proved agninst him- under section 203. Wide publicity had been given the present case, aud the result would be that the public would receive the impression that „ i IT WAS A SERIOUS OFFENCE to give whisky to a girl under fifteen years of age. This was not the case. The section had been framed with the of dealing with poisoning and attempts to poison. It was a monstrous, absurdity t6 say that tho section meant that it was an offence to give a girl of fifteen a nip of whisky. There was nothing m the law to preVent a person giving a boy or girl of fifteen, m fact, any greater age. a nip of whisky. To the beat of counsel's belief, the present prosecution ; was without precedent. At all events, there was no evidence to show that Salt had administered the whisky, and the case against him should be dismissed. On behalf of Heade, Mr. Cassidy pointed out that the section under which the chargo was laid came under the heading of poisons. The S.M.: Yes. but ulthough tho marginal note refers to poison, the section itself amplifies thai other noxious thlngff'ure^lncluded. Mr. Cassidy. continuing, submitted that nobody called by the prosecution had given definite evidence that Heade gavo the girl any whisky. It wus clear that the section aimed ut Bomething considerably more noxious than whisky. ;The Licensing Act permitted a fifteen-year-old girl to go to an hotel and procure as much whisky as she cared to carry away, so long as she did not consume It on tho promises. On tho face of it it was absurd to assume that to give a irlrl two nips of whisky brought a man under tho scope of the Crimes Act. Counsel desired to mnkb it plain that m the present case thero w»s NO SUQOESTION OF IMPROV PRIKTT. There was n danger of the fact being over looked, and It was only fair to Heado that the point should be mado quite clear. „ . Tho S M. said that he was satisfied that thcro was a caso to go before a JU Tlie accused wero committed for trial, ball being allowed m each case In one surety of £'100. "Truth" mentioned Umt week that proceedings were being taken against thr publican who aupplleU the party with liquor. ' Whether the»e proceodC will be continued or not hinges on the result of Salt and Hondo* trial nt the Supreme Court.

GLOBE HOTEL, PAPAKURA,