"THE WOMAN PAYS"

NZ Truth, Issue 508, 13 March 1915, Page 4

"THE WOMAN PAYS"

LAWYER MOODY ON THE WARPATH

CAUTERIZES A COVE NAMED GIFFORD BOWEN

Classes Him "a Cur" and Maligns Him as "a Mongrel"

Girl Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Administering a Noxious ThingHow the Police Landed a Letter

That it is the woman who pays was exemplified at the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Friday, 6th inst v when a young woman, 28 years of age, appeared before Mr ; E. CsCuttenrS.^,^harged : with haylng./b'etjveien Vi and 1 November 3Q last; unlawfully administered to herself a noxious thing, to ; wit, pills, for a certain purpose. . •Detective' Scott prosecuted for." the police', land the young woman was represented by Mr. Allan Moody, who, at : a later stage, severely critibised a young man who had been' held responsible for THE^yOUVG WOMAN'S TROUBLE. . The first? : witness was a middle-aged wqman* .named Marj^ Jarie Reid. r the ' wife^pfvjte,nry Gordon' 'Reltf;' ; ;ifefeidihg" at-Wjiißit-stjreet/ Newton. Qhft* Had khoipn the i -accused JCor some time^and remembe'red^jcecetvmg a letter laflsWember |as*t;,'«;J?c|orHa tliat she ha4!niqt ', thßt^thte v accused was keeping company with a yoiing man. It. waa 'after ; s THE RECEIPT OF THE LETTER that she kiiew that the accused had been keeping; company with: a young • man. Subsequently something happen-, ed— the yotjrig .wonian :had a mis-? hap,. *,; Witness h^d' several cpnyersa-' tions^ith^ the y)ic'p)sedV iwhp .'soift ifthat the young , raan> "waa reiiponslble JC piiiier trouble^* A'Sh«7-'saJ^ : -thfit"'th"(|^oung"'i^ah: • had J&ttss^6>l\\ii* l s As a iresult of 'the uccuß6d^rt[Wip|: iiie'- pflis -she : /became ,veryiii^sinji wi^e«4 advised ! her not to' '' takQ^Hxwi^i'ihe^QUog man's name was Gin^f^i^owen,.-and,.he was r; tally

clerk on the wharf. This young man had' Been before the Court m connection' with prei maternity proceedings. Detective Scott:' He admitted he was the cause' of her '■ trouble? — Yes. Lawyer Moody again ascertained the name/of the" young 'gentleman who was a tally clerk on the wharf. You "know that Bowen has treated this glriimost cruelly?— Yes. He abandoned her to. do the best she could for; herself ?— He did not care what -she did. I think an order of the Court was made'against hlm?^-Yes. And he'haß not paid anything? — No. You are. a nurse, are you not? — Yes. Do you know anything of these pills? — N.o, I do not. Detective Thomas Henry De Nprvillo, stationed a* Newton, said that en January 21 last, he Interviewed the accused young woman. Ho showed her the letter which -had been sent to' Mrs. Reid, and she admitted that it was Jn her hand-writing. She then went on to tell the detective that sho had been keeping .company with a man named Bowen, that he had got her into trouble. Stic wont to him and told him of her condition, and he bought her the pills and gave her certain, lnstructions. Still, according to the story told by the accused to the detective, she said she had taken the pills, thut they had had no effect othor than making her very sick, as they were very nasty. Noxt, tho young man had Jnducod her to write the letter to Mrs. Reid, and m company with the young man she had visited tho woman. Mrs. Reid's answer to the letter was that she would not entertain the ideu OF " DOING Sl r CH A THING." The accused further told him (tho detective) that Mrs. Reid advised Bowen to marry tho ifirL but he did not glvo her uny satisfaction. Acting on advice. Mrs.. Reid laid an Information against ■Bowen and hud hi jit brought before the Court, ami had him bound ovur m v surety . to make, provision for the birth of the child. Some little time, after that, Hie girl felt ill and went to Mrs. Heid'fl pluec for a few days, .when, the desired object look place. Lawyer Moody: I Kuppose you made full inquiries Into this matter? — Yr>s. Pr. Lindsay attended the girl ;ifter? Yob. Dr. Lindsay toWl mm th;u he. thought the result was a natural one. This fflrl has Ween frank In connection with the matter — Y«s, very frank [ indeed. v ' I KUppose If the lruth Is known j VO\ r AIU-: SORKV i that »he is In-fore th<- .."ourt? I The ollUer. boWi-ver, made no reply \to Uri* jiuwKeMtloii. »»d Mr. Moody oltel-

• ted from the detective that everything J the girl had done was at the instigation of Bowen. The detective further replying that the girl had told him that' Bowen, when giving her the pills said 1 that she must get right somehow. • That was all the, evidence called for i the prosecution, and on the accused toe-. ' ing formally charged; Law,yer Moody submitted to the Magistrate that the case.was one m which the Court would ' not be justified m sending it to lac. Supreme Court for trial. The case, 1 he said,' was a rather pitiful one. The girl was 23 years' of 'age and was quite m.- . experienced m the ways of the world. She had. been seduced' by a. cur of a man, who, when he found her m trouble, had abandoned her. He did no- 1 thing for norland she would not be m the present trouble "had It not been for' this mongrel of a man, Bowen." : Mr. Moody further submitted that it 'had not been proved that the girl had • taken a noxious thing* It was a cano where the woman pays, and he thought, that the proper persons- who should be charged were Bowen and the chemist who supplied the pills; Anyhow, it wa's .not unlikely that they, would. I PlTSfb THEMSELVES BEFbFiE THE COURT. In further urging that the Magistrate Bhould dismiss .the case, Lawyer' Moody. ' threw ' some light on the manner m which the letter had fallen into the '.hands, .of , the police. The totter, haa been received by Mrs. Reid, but. some other woman who had obtained "possession of the letter came to. town, got gloriously drunk, was arrested by the police, and the letter being found m her possession the police made inquiries with the- result that the present pro-, ceedings were instituted against the accused, ■'.' . • . \ v Magistrate dutten: My trouble is that what you have mentioned may form ah excellent ground for the defence of th<9 accused. It is a question of fact whether the pills are noxious, arid that la a matter for the jury to decide and not one within my jurisdiction to consider. Lawyer Moody: The girl has been sufficiently punished by being brought before the Court/ and I have no doubt that the police themselves are sorry tor her; I submit that the ends, of Justice have been met by having the girl brought before you. Magistrate Cutten: I cannot take the responsibility upon myself, of distijissfng; the caso on the grounds men* ti'oned'' by you, Mr.. Moody; v After consulting with the aocused« Mr. Moody intimated that . SHE WOULD PLEAD GUILTY. "I have suggested to her," said the lawyer, "that it is a case where a Supreme Court. judge would take a lenient view WWefii^tUf:" — *-— * --*••' ' — ;♦ >>" Accordingly a plea of guilty was en. tered ahd^thi^ accused was ' oommitted to the Sjupreine^Court for sentence. ■-. .•>:' After considering the question of baili the Magistrate decided to release the young woman on her own bond of £ 50. GIFFORD BOWEN ARREBTED. Consequent on the above proceedings the arrest of G iff or d Bowen (25} was made on Saturday and on Monday ho was brought before Mr. E. c Cutten, S.M., and charged that at Auckland during the month of October, 1914, he unlawfully supplied a noxious thing, to wit; pills, to the woman m the above case, knowing that the same were to be used with intent to procure a mißcar"riage. Chief Detective McMahon prosecuted and Lawyer Singer appeared for Bowen. Tho young woman said she was keeping company with Bowen last year and In September found that there was something wrong. . She told Bowen about it on October 9 and a few days later he handed her a bottle of pills giving her instructions to have hot baths. She took the pills which made her very sick and when they were finished she told htm they made her sick, but he said she would have to take thorn and brought a second bottle. When these were finished Bowen said he would not give her any moroand told her to write to Mrs. Reid, a nurse. A letter was received from Mrs. Reid and us a result Florence and Bowen went to sec her, but Mrs. Reid Hald she would do nothing and Bowen remarked that they would have to get married. Mrs. Reid offered to lend Bowen the money to get married. Nothing was said about marriage afterwards and on January 5 something happened and witness went to Nurse Reid's home. Subsequently she handed the bottles, which had contained the pills, over to the police. In November last tylowen admitted he was the cause of the trouble and was bound over to find a surety to not leave the country. No questions were asked. Mary Jane Reid, a married woman, living m West-street, Newton, stated that she knew the girl Florence and accused were keeping company last year. In November witness received a letter nnd replied to It and on November 18 they came to witness and Bowen asked could -nothing be done. Witness replied It was too late and offered to loml. Bowen the money to get married, but he refused It. On December 27 Florence came to the house and was put to bed by witness and on January S hud a miscarriage. Witness was In Court last November when Bowen admitted he was the father of ihc then unborn child of Florence and wu« bound over not to leave the Dominion till after the birth • of the child. Dotoc'tivc Dc Norville t»aid when he arrested accused on the 6th of the present month the latter remarked^ h© would reserve his statement. When charged at the police station IJOWKN' MADB NO REPLY. Uiwyer Singer then nuked that tho < as.- he iiU'iWci! to utand oh It w»», m kkJ'm that ho mul accused might conhl'U t what |jl<*:i t'» enter. This wjiK jikiv«,'«l I". Next morning wlu-n Mowcii wan ihrmiKMi l»-f.»r»- the Court Lawyer Slnj*<r !nUm:ii.«l that ueciwod would plead i inn Kulhy. I'.uwc-n Uifii reserved his defence, jttfiiil.-d not guilty, nml was commuted lo tin- Supreme C«»url for trial. ISnli w»i.s allowed In one. wurcty «»f ( XMOO or two of £''0.