MARRIAGE OFFER AT FIFTEEN

NZ Truth, Issue 1127, 7 July 1927, Page 9

MARRIAGE OFFER AT FIFTEEN

Romance That: Pjlad Its Origin Behind Sehoolrootii Text-books -

BTUT ; Su|r.is and exercises did not, occugy the whole of th t2i r studies, :, an%. they lent themselves to i the yquthfuiy instincts that give tuition to Life's,: greatest p.r obi em^— Love. , • Their primary lessohs quickly graduated into an affair that was carried on when "they lefj. school. The; fires of affection within Ernest WortKpVT years old, were, it was alleged; so: "fierce that .they overcame his self-control, and he appeared the other day before S.M. McKean on a chsirge of having committed a serious -..of-., fence against a- girl under the age bfj ■14. .•■•■■.;• ■■••■■.. ■ ' Theijairlj well-developed for her ■* age, gave evidence to the effect that sine had been at school with Worth v 'ahd slater became his sweet-, ... heart.], This was at Waingakau. She canie with her parents to Auckland in^MarcH, 1926, Worth following m October. While,' employed atMennie's biscuit factory,;;jn Albert Street he boarded at her home. ; - 1 In r,.' January,- 1927, her mother left home a,nd boarded, out, and Worth went elsewhere for lodgings. Her young lover, called regularly, sometimes about 7.15 a.m. on his way to

iJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!llimillllllllllllll!IIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII{llllll^( | (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special 1 | | Auckland Rep.) f | It is pnly 6, year or two j I sinbe she was a neat little | J lass sitting at the forms of J I the fourth standard and he | 1 at the desks of the fifth. I

r.tlllltimillllllltllllMltlllllllllMlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllin work, and at other times on his way home m the evenings. iOn Sunday, January 9, about .2 p.m., the girl was washing up the dishes and her father was just going out, when the youth called. ' . ; He talked, to her for, a while, asking questions, until finally he asked her to enter the bedroom. She told him she was too busy, but; he said: "Leave the dishes until later." 1 ■ "While m the kitchen," said witness, "he put \ his arms around . me and kisse.d. me.^. •,■".-. This had led to Worth pulling her into the bedroom upstairs, when the girlsaid. "he knocked me on the bed." At this stage the young " witness asked for a glass of- water before continuing her evidence, which then disclosed that misconduct had occurred on that' occasion. Worth left the house about 5 p.m. '» '■ Next morning, about ,6.45, he called at the house again, but did not mention anything about what had happened the previous afternoon. ■ He called again m the evening, when misconduct again took place, according to the girl. ■'■-■■'■■, ■ ; '' Impropriety had occurred during several other visits from Worth, she added, and on one of these occasions her two young, brothers had been m. the house; .. The 'girl 'Stated, that Worth knew the time of the day when .her .father would be out and also her age, because she had to|d him. „ In cross-examining the witness, Lawyer Hall-Skelton, foe the youth, asked why she r had told Worth she was 14 when she had not really attained that age." No reason could be givemby the girl; ■ ' . :' '[■■ ! ■ -■■''„,■ It was suggested by counsel thar witness had written to Worth asking, him to come to Auckland to live, but the girl said thi£ was not so. - It was 'Wofth who had written to say that he wa,s coming to the city* VHas not your father taxed you with carrying on with this young fellow?" asked counsel.' /'Yes, on several occasions, but we were sweethearts," said 'the girl.- ." ■ -. ' , '. >v ;V-.. /■ \/':',. ; : Worth Warned "Did not your father . once bring along tw° " policemen?"— "No, only one." reluctantly replied the witness, t "Was it not because you were carrying oh with other boys?" pursued counsel.— "No," was the ..indignant an-' sweK. ■' •:. ■ :.•• ' I--'': \ .- ., "] •'. ■■;;.■' - Other delicate \ questions f ol -■'■■. lowed, until the , magistrate pointed out to Lawyer HallSkelton that his course of interrogation waa only produping a string of negative replies. ; "I want to show the character of the witness," counsel told the Asked if it was hot the police who had placed her m the hbme because she was n6t under proper control, girl, said her parents had. placed there. ■ '. ; - : -, v •■' ■/••:- ■,'..■•, •vl'-'-.' .■■;.•.-'■" ' : : '■■. The girl's father gave evidence that h^. had known Worth! as a : baby; The lad had wanted to niarry his daughter before they came to Auck-, land and he had agreed to courtship, until he discovered that the lovers were second cousins. He knew Worth's age to be only 16

? ",""...'....■ . " — - — — r— ". .V ' ' ; when he came to board with them m Auckland. * t He had on one occasion seen the youth kissing his daughter m the passage and had told him to desist. - When Worth left to board somewhere else, witness had told, him to keep away from his daughter and had warned the girl not to go out. with him unless»her brother - accompanied them. . . Detective M.' O'Sullivan spoke x of having interviewed Worth about May 1 and acquainting him off the complaint which had been laid against him. : :; ■■■"■■.. , ■■ • ■■•"■• ■■■•■/■,.■ ■- The youth had admitted misconduct with- the girl and gave a statement, which he had signed. - ■-. Chief Detective Cummings explained that there had been some delay m bringing the case into Court owing to the accused— with 1 no ulterior motive —having gone north; he had not been located until recently. Lawyer Hall -Skel ton pleaded not guilty arid the case was . remanded to the Supreme Court, bail m a surety of £I^o being allowed. The girl's name was suppressed. ..