A MASTERTON MATTER

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 8

A MASTERTON MATTER

» Same Old Sly Grog . "The Wild Woman" m the Cas« An Allegation of Attempted Bribery , About three weeks ago a case* was commenced In the Master-ton Magistrate's Court, before Mr. I* G. Reid, S.M., when a youth named Roney Paul was charged with following the local Masterton Industry of selling sly prog. Roney is a barber, and a soldier named Francis McCarthy dropped m to have his whiskers aggregated, and, while being depleted of his sprouts, he intimated that he was as dry as the devil's dust-box. He opined that Roney could deliver to him a DROP OF THE MAGIC WATER, and Ronoy produced a bottle of "frisk," which cost him twelve lovely shillings. "Teddy" Rule, who also measures the Masterton thatch and adjusts its length, said that he overheard the previous witness ask for the "water of life," but Roney told him that there was no such hydrant on the premises. Sergeant Miller, who conducted the case, said that he knew the accused, who was a reputed gambler who was always on the look-out to take some one down. Ho was generally .known as "The WHd Woman" and had earned that sobriquet by chewing raw meat m a slde-ehow at the Masterton A, and P. Society's show. During the evidence of the witness McCarthy, the counsel for the defence, Mr. B, R. Burridge, asked him if ho .knew a man who was sitting beside him (indicating Mr. Charles William Boyd, Government Life Insurance agent for the district). McCarthy startled the court out of its legal and other wits by saying, emphatically, "You, I know him; HE ATTEMPTED TO BRIBE ME. Boyd asked mo if I could make things light m the case against Roney Paul, as I was the only witness m tho cose. During tho conversation regarding the caao he asked if £2 or £3 would be any good to me. I said, 'No, I do not want money. My honor Is worth more to mo than all the money you can offer me.' " .Witness went on to say that the man, Boyd, mot him by arrangement m the Salvation Army Institute at the Feathcraton camp, and that ho (witness) had also arranged that "John Hop' 1 K. Chapman should be there to hear the details of tho plot discussed. The "cop" was thero all right — concealed (?) m a room some llitlo distance away from tho two actors. Charles William Boyd then demanded to bo admitted to tho box, where he was sworn, and aald that thero was only ono thing wrong with McCarthy's «tory~- it was a lie from Genesis to Revelations. Ho denied every statement. At that BUige the Magistrate adjourned the case to get Constable Chapman's evidence. On Friday, July 14. the matter again elalmed tho attention of the Bench, ami tho mutter of allegedly solUnjr the "frlak" was aersdn gone into. Rrneflt Chapman, the "John Hop," said that McCarthy had told him that lloyd liad anked him to "twist his evidence" In t:ortt;i-vUon with tlui «ly-RXv»|j Hvlllnu ease. ]|<» arranged that ho should be near when McCarthy consulted Boyd. lU> hu\v the consultation through an open door. He was übout 25 feet away, and could not overhear any of the conversation. lawyer O. C. PrtiKnell Wild ho would like to make v {statement. A BEKIOUS CIfARfJK HAD BEEN MADE from thf wit n <*».<» -box against Uayd. If his Worship thought thai ft prima facie case hftd been nuulc out agalrnu Boyd. he (Mr. Prague!!) hoped that ho would l«»uo Instructions Tor proceeding* to be tak«*n ftgciinat Boyd. as thla wum the only menu» by which ho could refute tho charge*. This hi* Worship reXu*od to do, Bay-

Inu that thcro >vua noc «ulHcient Juatl-tk-jitlon for iKaulnjf ouch inMiructlonn. The police* could do what they liked about it. With rotranl to tho sly grog charift«. hl« Worship said that the evidence of Countable Chapman wo* oufllelpm. m his mind, to convict. The "Wild Woman" wan requeued lo hand over £20, or, m default, do v month'« hrtrd m tho »»lubrloua air of tho "Terrace.' 1 It is understood that Paul will appear tureiaat tho decision.