ON THE BEACH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 252, 27 November 1914, Page 10

ON THE BEACH.

ANOTHER BRIGHTON CASE.

CHARGE OF INDECENCY.' Albert James Crosse, 24 years of age, for whom Mr O. T. J. Alpers appeared, was charged with indecent exposure at New Brighton on the 2nd of the present month.

Accused elected to be dealt with by a jury.

Mr Alpers asked that the Magistrate would make an order for non-publica-tion of evidence. If the man was innocent it would place him in an awkward position. There was no doubt that a grossly indecent act had been committed, but tho, defence was mistaken identity. < . ■

Mr Bailey thought that it was un..o.ossa., to.—ike th order. H.. felt sure that the papers would not puolish the evidence in any case. Mr Alpers said he did not make the application with any thought of The Sun, or the two morning He was thinking of the fourth paper. No order was made, but the court was cleared. The evidence of two female witnesses who had seen the offence committed when sitting on the sand hills opposite the cafe was taken. One of the witnesses also recalled having seen the accused at the New Brighton band rotunda on October 27, when his conduct had been questionable. Constable Lopdell, of New Brighton, said that on Tuesday, the 17th inst., as the result of - a complaint received when he went to the pier, he. started from the North Beach tramline to look for a man described to him. Seeing a man dressed in the manner described riding a bicycle towards North Brighton, witness rode quietly along, intending to overtake him. "When about 300 yards behind, the man commenced to go much faster, and Witness lost trace of him at North Brighton for a' few minutes. He came out from behind a. sand hill, however, and returned towards New Brighton, then going at a| racing pace. Witness chased him • through New Brighton, Bexley Eoad, Old New Brighton Koadj and up the j narrow track up the river towards the Dallington bridge! By this time others had engaged in the pursuit, but the man was again lost sight of near the Dallington bridge. The chase was over some six or seven miles. The next day, in company with Acting-Detective O 'Connor, witness said he went to accused's home and identified him as the man he had chased. The accused then admitted that he was the same man, giving as his reason for running away that he had been told that the police were after a man who had been speaking to young girls on the beach. He denied the offence with which he was charged, and said he had been at New Brighton about a fortnight. To Mr Alpers: He and I had a merry go. He's the first man that ever got away from me. , Mr Alpers: The only compliment paid to niy client to-day is that he got away from Constable' : Lopdell.' Mr Alpers, in defence, said he was prepared to meet the accusation by an, alibi. On the day in respect of which the charge was latd.he was at home all day suffering frdm"lnfluenza. He was engage ;1 to be marrie" and it showed the conn ence j-d.* -1 j i wh-n the girl married him y terday. He a.-mit-ted having been chased by the constable, and his excuse for running away was that he had talked that afternoon .with a girl whom he didn't know. \ The mother of the accused remembered the 2nd instant. On that day, too, her-niT-ied daughter went to the house to help lev In her wprk, as her son was ill. He had been troubled with influenza, and

was twice attended by Dr Barrie, the last visit being made on October 16. He was confined to his bed for a fortnight, and after that he used to get up and sit in his room. On the morning of the 2nd he wasn't able to get out of the chair, and witness's daughter was that morning rubbing his head with a lotion. Her son was not out of the house at all. It wouldn't have been possible for him in his conditio"u to have ridden to New Brighton. She described her sou's clothing, and at the mid-day adjournment it was arranged that the coat should be produced. It had been described by the witnesses for the prosecution as fawn-coloured. After the adjournment Mrs Crosse identified the overcoat (produced) as her sou's. It was a coat of a dark material with a broad green stripe, the only one he had. The female witnesses for the prosecution had described the coat the accused was wearing as being fawn coloured. To the Chief-Detective: Her son was never out of the house from November 2 till November 14, when he weut to New Brighton with his fiancee. Henry Heathcote Crosse, father of the accused, said he remembered November 2. After dinner he went out for a walk, returning about 5 o'clock. His son was home nil the time that witness was. Witness did not think that his son was in a fit condition to go to New Brighton on the 2nd owing to his influenza. Witness remembereu Labour Day, when his son's fiancee went to see him. He identified his son's overcoat, which he said was theonly one he had. To the Chief Detective: He thought his son was fit to go outside on the 4th, but he couldn't remember if he went anywhere on the 3rd. Ada Crosse, wife of the accused, said she married him knowing that the charge was hanging over him. She remembered his being ill with influenza. She visited him twice during his illness, once on Labour Day, when he was too ill to go out. From his condition on the 26th, she did not thing he would have been fit to go to New Brighton on the" 27th. They went to New Brighton together on November 14, when he was better. (Proceeding.)