AFTER THE PARTY

NZ Truth, Issue 1001, 31 January 1925, Page 2

AFTER THE PARTY

Widow Brings Charge Of Rape

Didn't Think He Was "A Rotter."

The Native Hui at which were heard the claims of various Maoris to a share m the grant of £354,000 as reparation for a land purchase 77 years ago, was not the only matter which engaged the attention of Kaiapoi last week. An additional item of interest was the police prosecution of Albert Norton, of Tuahiwi, on a charge of rape against Lily Kathleen Peterson, a widow employed as a domestic servant m the Kaiapoi district.

The evidence of the complainant, which was heard before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., was that she was at a party on -the. night, of the alleged offence and saw "Conge" Norton there. Afterwards she and her friends and the accused were walking towards home when a motor car picked up the others of the party and witness 5 and accused were left together. .."Conge" asked witness to sit down on the side of the road and when she refused, ha carried her towards the fence and knocked her down.' She got up and he knocked her down again, and also a third time, when she was near the church, and the offence was committed. Witness yelled and screamed, but no assistance came, and she walked home and told her friend what had happened. Afterwards, she and her friend called at the house where accused was staying and he said he knew nothing about an assault. .

Cross-examined by Mr. Corcoran; witness said she had been a widow about 12 months and was 30 years of age. She had not actually met "Conge" before the night of the alleged offence, although she had seen him at a beach picnic previously. She denied that he took her to church on the Sunday and that he had walked home from church with her; neither had she seen him m church or spoken to him that evening. At the party on the night under discussion accused had had some drink, but witness had none. Were you sitting on a couch m the room? — Yes, some of the time. Accused also sat on the couch? — Just now and again. He • had his arm around you? — He did not. He put his arm on the back ,of the seat. Did he kiss you at all? — Yes, he. kissed me. twice. I didn't approve of it - all the same. Oh! And what did you do to stop him? — -I pushed his face away. Now, isn't it a fact that you and he were sweethearting on the couch all the evening? — No, it's not. But you didn't mind him kissing you? — Yes, I did mind.' Well, why didn't you go home? — Because I didn't want to be unsociable.. Witness continued that if she had thought accused a rotter she would have gone home; : While on the ground the second or third time after accused; had knocked her down Jimmy Pohio came along and she told him "Conge" had assaulted her, but he did not answer. She again called him and he came baok and asked accused- for some cigarettes,, but accused said he had noue and told Pohio to "carry on.' Witness admitted having torn her hand and that it bled freely. ,She explained that it was done on the barbed wire when she was knocked down. Evidence was given concerning the complainant's condition when she arrived home, and also by Dr. Ramsay, who said he examined her the following day and found no bruises or marks of violence excepting a scratch on the right hand. ' ! Constable Holmes gave evidence of having interviewed the accused at Tuahiwi, as the result of a complaint made by the ..-oman with whom complainant was staying. Accused said some of Mrs. Peterson's statement was; true and some of it was not, as she had consented to what subsequently happened. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to thy. Supreme Court at Christchurch for trial. ■■