LOVE UNAPPRECIATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18735, 13 December 1922, Page 6

LOVE UNAPPRECIATED

AN AMOROUS PROWLER. ONE YEAR’S IMPRISONMENT. (From Ode Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, December 12. Francis Halligan, aged 25 years, was charged to-dav with being a rogue and a vagabond in that ho was found at night on the premises of the Nurses’ Home at Christchurch Hospital. He explained to an incredulous magistrate thac. his action in climbing over the iron pate of the hospital at 2 a.m. on Sunday and going up into the corridors of the Nurses* Home in stocking feet was merely due to his desire to see a young lady he was engaged to, as he wanted to say something about being married. If he had known what he knew now he would never have gone. He was well known by all the ladies in that, part of the hospital through his “young lady.” They called him John, He had taken nis “young lady” homo about midnight. The Magistrate : What time did you go into the hospital?—About 2 o’clock. That’s a late hour to go courting and to propose matrimony?—No answer.-Cross-examined by Detective Gibson, Halligan said he had been with his young lady” all the evening. He climbed the gates at the hospital and found the door to the home unlocked, so he went inside. He took his boots off because he did not want the other “young ladies” at the hospital to know (hat he" was visiting his “young ladv.” She had an idea he was going to pay her a nocturnal visit. Th© Detective: .She didn’t leave her door unlocked for you?—-No. Why did you go into the other rooms? — Because I heard somebody coming and I had to step out of the way. Phccbo Clark said she was awakened by a man leaning over her bed. She jumped up and made an effort to get to the door, but the man stopped her. Jessie Pickett, said that about 1.30 a.m. on Monday she was awakened by a man who was breathing heavily in her face. She woke up, and the man said: “It’s all right. I’m Frank—Kitty's boy.” She replied; “You get out of here! This is not Kitty’s room.” Halligan told her to be quiet and give him a kiss “to fix it all up.” Accused : I never asked you for a kiss. Witness: Yes. you did. Kitlv Brad well said she had been out. with accused on Saturday night. There had been no arrangement that he should conic to her room. , , The Magistrate said that it was clear to him that Halligan was on the premises with criminal intent, and he had committed an assault, even though it was a technical one. It was a monstrous thing that a man like him could get in among a lot of young women. “1 know of no worse case, he said, when he sentenced accused to 12 mouths’ imprisonment.