HALF-CASTE MAORI AND CHILD

NZ Truth, Issue 1306, 22 December 1930, Page 6

HALF-CASTE MAORI AND CHILD

"GOD BE GOOD TO MUMMY"

Sensational Kidnapping of Four- Years-O ld Boy Discloses Bitter Family Feud AMAZING DRAMA OF LOVE AND STRIFE (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Brisbane Representative*.) Will the love of Frederick Alonzo Paris, self-styled strolling player, and half-caste Maori, who comes of a wellknown New Zealand family, for little Ronald Burns, cause him to abduct the child from his legal guardian and once again ring up the curtain upon a strange drama of human loves and passions with this little curly-headed, bright-eyed youngster as its central figure? What is Paris's relationship to this child whom he taught to pray "God be good to Mummy," but to whom the police say he has no legal claim? / And what was the motive behind the amazing series of events which led up to the sensational kidnapping ofi the child m the main street of Yeronga and the dramatic story which that event has unfolded?

THE boy is now m Sydney— -safe with his father — but over him hangs the alleged sinister thredft of Frederick Paris to- "get him back by hook or by crook." Will Paris's strange love for the child lead to another kidnapping, or has the curtain finally. been rung down upon this tense human drama? Looming largely m this human drama is Frederick Alonzo Paris, member of a well-known Wellington family, from whom the boy was kidnapped — looming sometimes m a role ■which reflects every credit upon him. Ps^ris claims that little Ronnie Burns is "his own son. "And," he is said to have declared to the police: "Ml get I him back by hook or by crook!" A puppet cast hither and thither between the five people who loved him and wanted him, this child has had crowded Into .his four and a-half years of life more* drama than the innocence of his young mind can possibly comprehend — drama which was born when he was 'born. Because of him, because of his fair sof t curls and chubby cheeks, and all that they mean, five people have played a daring and sensational game, facing that winch normaKy they would \ not dream of facing, living m the" shadows, hiding, flaunting defiantly the flag of their love before even danger itself. Five people — Mrs. Barley Burns, the boy's, mother, Edward Rums, Cedric Mackay, his uncle, Mrs. Annie Mac- 1 kay, his grandmother, and Frederick Alonzo Paris — all have played their parts; but none a part so prominent or so remarkable as that played by Frederick Paris. The "story begins four and a-half years ago, when Ronald Burns was ! born. At the time his mother and father had separated. Ronald's grandmother

alone; nor did he himself go out as often as he' had been wont to do. He was plainly uneasy, and watched every stranger m the town. Came Monday morning-, and with It swift action. Paris stayed at home that morning, barely allowing the child out of his sight. But about eleven o'clock,, Ronnie asked permission to go to a nearby store to buy some caps for 'his toy pistol. Afraid of the danger which he knew hovered near, Paris hesitated, but the child persisted, and finally, after scanning: the street, the man opened the gate for ftim, urging him to be quick and speak to no one. who spoke to him. Bubbling with glee, Rongie ran down .the street to the corner. There he crossed the railway bridge into the main street, with no thought m his mind but i the joyful prospect of buying caps for his pistol. Suddenly, a blue-and-white taxi ran into the street — drew up beside the boy. The door was flung open and a man jumped out, darted to the footpath, seized Ronnie, and bundled him into the taxi. ( Ronnie screamed, and then his fear died as/ he found himself m the arms of his uncle, Cedric Mackay. 1 The taxi started, and as people rushed into the street and tried to stop it; the driver swung the vehicle quickly to the other side, then dashed down the dusty road until the excited and wondering crowd standing m the street saw it disappear around a bend. It was not long before police were told of the sensationaL events of the morning, and efforts were immediately set on foot to trace the taxi-cab. On Tuesday morning inquiries revealed that it called at an hotel, m Morningside, 'but beyond that no further trace of it could be found. Police at aW stations along the border, were notified, and a close watch was kept at every point through which a car might pass into New South Wales. But the capture of little Ronnie from Frederick Paris had been well planned. Somehow the uncle's car evaded the watch -dogs of the law. On Tuesday afternoon the grandmother heard from the kitchen of her home m Coff's Harbor ' an excited childish cry outside the house, a cry she. had not heard for many months: "Grannie, Grahniel" And for a few brief joyful minutes she held Ronnie m her arms. Then, for the second time within the year, the grandmother bade, farewell to the child, as he was put again into the car and whirled on his way to Sydney. > And Ronnie is there now, safe m a place unknown to at least some of those five people who wanted him, and who dared so much to keep him. , Amazing as was the drama of Ronnie's kidnapping, stiK more amazing were the circumstances discovered by •'Truth" during the week,, circumstances more m harmony with the melodrama of the theatre than with that of real life. Playing ,a. role throughout the whole remarkable affair, the figure of Frederick Alonzo Paris stands out prominently and dramatically. On Wednesday morning he was inter-

viewed by two "Truth" representatives, but from the beginning adopted an attitude of sauve reticence. When asked about the events of Monday morningr, he refused to discuss them, but when questioned regarding his association with the chMd he had some comment to make. "It's just a family rrfatter, and. the little boy has been taken back to his grandmother. The grandmother gave into my charge, and then she became lonely and pined for him. I did not want to give him up, and so they sent his uncle up and took him away." "What is your relationship to the child?" Paris was asked. "What do you want .to know that for?" he countered. "Have you any legal right to have custody of the child?" "Would I be standing here doing nothing if I had any legal . means of getting him back?" he cried. "I am just the buffer between parties m the family — I am the innocent party

badly. It ftas been a very sad and heart-breaking affair for me." The grandmother went on to say that when she saw Ronnie for that brief space of time on Tuesday afternoon he didn't look as bright as he usually did — and she stated that he had on only two articles of clothing, a shirt and- pants. He wore no underclothing. "My „ daughter' has been associating 1 with Paris for about three and a- half years," Mrs. Mackay said. "Paris is so eager to have the child with him so that he can keep 'his hold, upon the mother. We believe that she sends him money. "It cannot be true that my daughter is looking after s» sick relation m Rockhampton, because we have no relations up there " Further light on Paris's association with the child was throwa by Sergeant Flori, of Moorooka Police Station, who interviewed the man shortly after Ronnie was kidnapped from Yeronga. Sergeant' Flori said: "Paris told me his name was Frederick Paris, and that he was a theatrical performer. He said he had sung and acted i for the Fullers and for J. C. Williamsons. "He also claimed that the child was his, but that as it' was ".registered under the name of Burns he had no legal claim upon it. "He told me that he and the mother, Darley Burns, had been living together for the past three years. He had met her m Sydney. "He said she was at present m Rockhampton, nursing a sick relation. He toad sent her telegrams care of the post office there. ' "He declared he would get Ronnie back by hook or by crook." Thus, for the present at least, little Ronald Burns' s remarkable adventures have ended, and the curtain has 'been rung down on the strange drama which was born with him four and a-half years ago. Ronald is happy now, and liis old grannie is happy, too. The case is certainly one that the Child Welfare authorities should investigate. The child's future welfare is of the utmost importance,, and the authorities should lose no time m getting at the true factß.