Emphatic Denial

NZ Truth, Issue 1175, 7 June 1928, Page 7

Emphatic Denial

sired to "be heard on oath,

Lawyer Lilly (with a wicked smile) "Thfey are not m Waihi"?

Witness (with a good-humored smile m acknowledgment of the thrust: "No, they are not."

With the conclusion of this witness' evidence, Lawyer Lilly asked for half an hour's adjournment m order that he might discuss the case with his client. "In view, of the evidence tnat has just been given," he said. "I. will take the responsibility of putting the whole position before my client."

Thirty minutes later Lawyer Lilly told Judge Blair that he could not accept the responsibility of not proceeding with his client's case. She de-

Mary Harley, a woman m the forties, with a 1 retrousse nose, dark, expressive eyes, dark hair and a determined line about the mouth, gave an unqualified denial to the allegation that she had misconducted herself with young Edwards. ' i ■'■-.'

Irvine Booth, to whom she had previously been married,, had failed to maintain her and was an habitual drunkai-d.

Oh May 13, 1911, she was successful m ridding herself of the burden of Irvine, when a judge m divorce granted her a decree nisi.

Most emphatically Mrs. Harley denied that she had lived with Harley as his housekeeper.

She also declared that he had, not told the truth ab6ut her eldest boy, Harry, when he stated that

he was the boy's father.

She insisted that he was not, but that the boy was the legitimate son of her marriage with Booth. . '

Her present husband, said witness, was making a mistake about this son. He was confusing him with an illegitimate child, she declared, of which Harley was the father and a cousin of his the mother,' and "which was born about the same time as her son, Harry.

■ Somewhere about September, 1927, witness said, she came to Auckland to consult Dr. Carrick Robertson. He had advised her to give up the boarding establishment. . '

Prom the time of her return, after seeing the doctor, until her case for maintenance -was heard on November S, she was confined to her room through illness.

She denied that there had been any impropriety on the night of November 7. "Certainly not," she said; "I was very ill . . : . ; '

"Well, if I was m bed with anybody, is it likely I would have the floor of the room open?" Mrs. Harley queried.

The room m which the alleged misconduct had taken place, «she continued, had been occupied by a Miss Ward at that particular date.

"I say 'it is all lies — deliberate lies!" cried the respondent, with a tremor m her voice. "I have never committed misconduct with any man.

"When Mr. Harley was living with me he used to say that all I ever thought about was going to the beach -with men," she. added. He -was .jealous of her and wrongly so.