A CAUSE CELEBRE

NZ Truth, Issue 771, 14 August 1920, Page 5

A CAUSE CELEBRE

— * The Silence of Gladys Batchelor " HAYNE- NEYLON ABORTION CHARGE COLLAPSES. Sensational Conclusion to Remarkable' Triala. The Hayne-Neylon abortion case came to a sensational conclusion on Tuesday, at the Wellington Supreme Court. Whether the curtain has rung down for good— or bbaind — m this remarkable ".ase remains to' be seen.' Hayne and Neylon are free, but the possibility "f the latter being charged with perjury is not unlikely. . The girl Batchelor continues to servo her sentence of nine months' gaol for contempt of court. The facts of the case are well-known, James Reynolds Hayne, chemist, of D.unedin, and Norman Neylon, butcher, of Waimate, were charged with procuring the abortion of the grirl Batchelor. Haynq's is alleged to have per- . formed an operation on the girl, and as word whs given to the police later, both he arr'l Neylon "were arrested. Two trials were held m Dunedin, the juries disagree. l *>v m both casaa. The case was then transferred to Wellington, but the girl put a spoke m the wheels of justice by refusing to give evidence. Judge Edwards, m desperation, adjourned the case to the May sessions, and m th«j meantime Gladya Batchelor was charged with complicity m the abortion .^nd given the record-breaking sentence of five, seconds. At the May ' sessions Ihe silent witness was given nine months' gaol by Judge Herdman Cor contempt of court m REFUSING TO GtVE EVIDENCE. The seai of silence on the girl's li>ps has nevir been broken, however. ! At tku hearing on Monday, Judge ■ Edwards presided, Mr. T. M. Wilford j appeared ifor Hayne, and Mr. Arthur | Fair for Neylon. I Mr. Macassey, Crown Prosecutor, i concluded his. opening address with the I dramatic announcement that no evidence would be called against Neylon, who was therefore acquitted. .Neylon was then ordered into the witness box, but after haltingly answering a number of questions, he • declined to say any more. The court had to be adjourned, so that Mr. Fair might discuss the unexpected position with his client. .When the court resumed, Neylon went into . the box and denied everything. Gladys Batchelor followed, and again maintained her sphynx-like silence. After many questions by the Crown Prosecutor failing to make her break the silence, Judge Edwards said he would again adjourn the court to consult with his fellow judges as to whether any further punishment would be imposed on the girl. On resuming -the following morning, Gladys Batchelor was again placed m the box, but preserving her calm der meanor, she refused to answer any question put. to he.r. Mr, Macassej^ then announced that he proposed to enter a nolle prosequi (a stay of proceedings). The ends of justice, he said, had been defeated by a conspiracy of silence. The prosecuj tion of Neylon for perjury, however, ; might follo\v. I Thereupon his Honor discharged I Hayne. He accused Neylon of deliberate perjury of the worst kind and said it was the duty. of. the Crown to see whether he should not be prosecu- ' ted for such. No further punishment T/ould be imposed on Gladys Batcheior, who would have been released immediately had she decided to give evidence the day before.