GIRL'S MIDNIGHT ORDEAL

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 5

GIRL'S MIDNIGHT ORDEAL

Story of Strange Adventure On Christmas Eve

<,jb«rom "N.Z. ;Truth's" Gisborne Representative.) A LTHOUGH he admitted that her had stayed the* night m a dress-ing-shed at the Gisborne reserve. with a 14-year-old girl, David Amos McAllister, alias Palmer, asked Magistrate Lewey to believe that he was not guilty of a grave; offence against the girl.

MCALLISTER admitted spending the night— and most of the following day— with the young girl, but denied that misconduct had taken place. ' i The girl, a little slip of a thing without any great pretensions to good looks, told her story with a degree of diffidence, and during her account of what took place during the night she broke into tears. The girl told the magistrate that on Christmas Eve her parents had sent her to her grandmother's home, tvut instead of going there she went into town and met McAllister, whom she had known for about six months. . At his suggestion, she said, they went to the sports reserve, and sat down beneath some trees, re-, maining there until everyone else had. left, when she was frightened to go home. ' - -■■■*. McAllister left her awhile, saying that hewas going to light the fire, and she remained until' he returned just before darkness set m; T '■' ■ . At his suggestion they went over to the ladies' dressing- shed, and for a time she fell' asleep. The girl went on to detail the events , of the night,; her story being extracted between fits of sobbing. 7 . At five o'clock m the morning, McAllister left her to get something for her to eat, although she said she did not warjjk anything.

yShe left the grounds • shortly after McAllister, but met ' him again later on, and he persuaded her to go back' to the reserve, where he endeavored to force her to drink some tea and eat some cake. This was Christmas Day, and she remained with McAllister until about 5 p.m., when they separated. McAllister had not given, her anything while, they were together, but she had taken his watch from him. Lawyer Burnard, who appeared for McAllister, questioned the girl at .length regarding her 'conduct during the night, but she did not vary her former statements. - Medical testimony as to the girl's condition was given, by Dr. R. M. Gunn, and further evidence was tendered by the girl's father as to her 'absence from home. '.Detective McLeod testified to an interview m which McAllister admitted spending. the night with the girl,' but denied .ithe serious charge. He had urged her to go home.V he said, but on returning to' the . reserve found her still there, and they spent the night m the shed. ' McAllister pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed for -trial at Gisborne, bail being allowed m the sum of £200.