A STRANGE CASE

Southland Times, Issue 19516, 16 May 1922, Page 5

A STRANGE CASE

WOMAN’S ARREST FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT. STRONG COMMENT BY JUDGE. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 15. The final phrase of the Salaman case, regarding the custody of an Indian child who, by habeas corpus, was given to the father to take care of, was before the Supreme Courts when an appeal was made by the wife against a writ of attachment which resulted in her arrest and conveyance to Wellington, where she was lodged in Port Halswell Prison. The woman told a remarkable story. She said she took the child to Auckland to give it up to the father. The child screamed so as the mother took her farewell that she asked her now divorced husband to let her stay with the child for the night. He did so and allotted them a bedroom upstairs. Before she was out of bed the following morning detectives came aud arrested her on a warrant of the Court at Wellington. She was brought away from her former husband’s residence under arrest, brought to Wellington, and was still in the custody of the prison officials when the appeal was made. It was explained on behalf of the bus;, band that he was at Taumarunui quite by accident and saw the woman with the child there. He explained to her that in leaving Wellington she was guilty of contempt, of court. He immediately telegraphed to the police at Auckland. » His Honour said that if the was in a house at Auckland it was a monstrous thing to arrest her. A dej ity sheriff’s officer said the woman was in bed ’/nth the child when she was arrested. T 3oth were taken to the police station. FJm Honour ordered her release, and. said v 'there had been undue harshness.