SUPREME COURT

Timaru Herald, Volume CVIII, Issue 16882, 1 August 1919, Page 7

SUPREME COURT

"i (CONTINUED FROM PAGE-J>y.

| r - THE DEFENCE. - - " j Mi- Alpers. in opening for the defence, made a dramatic address to the 2 m y.:r < He pictured the respondeat as a nice, attractive young woman who lad been a victim to the viie tongue of slander and who now came beiore them with what courage she could command in defence of her honour and her good name—the two things which every good woman held most- sacredMrs Strang had riot only to motecti' herself from the vicious "voice of slander; she had also her little baby to protect; and while she had a right to expect the assistance of her own sex in this, lie regretted to have to say that it was nlem'oers of her- own sex who had maligned her, and who would, if they could, filch "from. her ner good name. He was surra that the jury- would appreciate the serious, position in which the respondent had been placed, and he was equally sure that they would be astounded when they .heard the evidence which he would lead to show that the charge against her -.was baseless, and' founded on a, tissue of falsehoods. Mr Alpers then "briefly outlined this evidence and concluded, bis forensic appeal by stating: that ; every act- of Hunt's was consistent with nmocence, and that Mrs Strang would look the jury in the face and tell them ■ frankly that she was a- virtuous and honest wife. 1 Mrs Strang said that she was married on August 24. 1914. and her cliild wasborn on April 20, 1915.' ]n.March, 1917, witness came on a visit lb Tiniaru with ler sister Rubv and''went to live with Mrs Wall. ' Mrs'' "Wall introduced witness to Mr Hunt; in the street. The same day Mr Hunt called at Mr Wall's house , the latter treating him as a guest. Mr Hunt asked witness and Mrs Wall to go.td. tlve.li'ire Station that night. They bsthtagreed to go but at- the. last niinxite "Mrs Wall declined. :It was not true tiaTt Mrs Wall, had told -witness to getilfresh lodgings. Mr Hunt was neygr in witness's room*--unless. was there also. He used' to go to- Mrs Wall's house, riot to' see witness,- but t<v do pluiribins work for MrsxWall. Witness knew Mrs Hunt well=:and: sawa good deal of .Tier. It was always' witness's intention to set tip a home in Tiniaru for her husband's return. Mr Hunt told ber that bis father had one to let, and witness secured this arid lived in it. Witness's brother "Keith lived m the bouse with her, and was there when her husband returned. She was very seldom without company in the bouse. Durins the few months before her brother Keith went to Jive with her permanently she had stopping with her at varying intervals Mrs Hope, her brothers Tom and Charlie, her sisters Kathleen and Rubv," and Mr Hunt's little boy and girl. She was practically never without company in the house . Mr Hunt was never in witness's bedroom at the LeCren Street house. Mr Hunt had the garden at her house dug aiid planted in vegetables, as be had no room for' a garden at the Fire Station. He cultivated the garden on Saturday afternoons and pn. Sundays. He kept his own family in vegetables from this garden, some went to his father, and witness bad enough for her wants. When Mr Ifunt was working in the garden, witness occasionally asked him in to have a cup of tea. All this time witness iised to see a good deal of Mrs Hunt. Witness used to visit her at .the Fire Station, and Mrs Hunt used to visit witness at- her house. They were still quite good friends. It was true that Mr Hunt bad been at her place as late as. half-past ten at night. He used to play cards with her brother or visitors, and when witness visited Mrs .Hunt at night Mr Hunt would see witness honie. At Mrs Hunt's suggestion witness had accompanied her on a holiday to the North Island. Her husband had a very jealous nature and it was hard to explain anything at all to him. Witness denied having: ever admitted to her husband that she had done wrong. Had she made such an admission it would have beenuntrue She had done her best to chase the jealous fears from her husband's mind,' but without success. Witness positively denied having at any time been guilty of misconduct. Mr Hanlon cross-examined at considerable length. Witness admitted that she had had a child before marrying Mr Strang. She denied "that "Hunt paid the rent of the LeCren Street house for her, or tliat he paid any of her deots. No cheque .of Hunt's could be traced for a dental account of hers. Hunt got his wife's consent to cultivate the ground at the back of witness's bouse. Hunt took witness out the first night she had been introduced to liini- -She went to the i ire Station, and Hunt saw her homo. She had not been introduced to his; wife then. She-could not remember -what time she got home that nigut. '- The three women who had told thciCourt that Hunt used to visit her. ••-.niriTwhen nobody else was there had ihoods. Sho could not say wU.vi they should do'so:.. She admitted thit £•!>« called Mi'- Hunt "Billie," aiiir-% ■ iimv recognised that* it; was indiscreet of her to have asked him in to her!house to have a cup of tea when no. one else was there. It did not.Xs'trikc witness that it was a foolish thing for Hunt to get into her garden tliiouch a bole in the iron fence at the" b*iek. Witness denied that she and -sHunt lia'd one day stood in her garden and joked between themselves while looking atj Hunt's wife chopping, wood at her (Mrs Hunt's) borne. Witness; could give no reason why, all the witnesses should perjure themselves to condemn an innocent- woman. p Charles Slade. brother of the "iprevious witness, said that when he had been staying at his sister's house in LeCren Street he Ijad met Hunt;there on--.'one or two occasions. To Mi\ Harilon: Witness could; only speak of five evenings at the hoiisc. Thomas Slade, another of dent's brothers, said that he had' stopped with his sister in LeCren Street twice. Hunt lived close, by and witness spent several evenings with him at the house of witness's sister. 'I To Mr Harilon: Witness badibearcl Hunt spoken of at his homo iir;Ashburton, after be returned from the war. Witness could not say how Hunt's name was brought up there: Mrs Lily- Hunt, wife of the .iio-re-spondent, said she knew Mrs Strang very well and they were good friends one to the other. ' There had ; "never been any trouble between witness and I her; husband snd Mrs and j there' was none now. On Auril £>S I last Strang went to witness and asTced her what she thought of the goings- | on between his wife and her (witness's) husband. Witness replied that it was all talk with no truth in it. Strang said that witness's husband was lieeping his (Strang's) wife and buying her presents in addition. Witness said she did not believe it. Strang said be would have every penny of her busband's money, drag his name through the paper, and cause everybody to hate him. Witness denied absolutely that she had ever said to Strang that she could not get a separation from her husband because she had three children to -keep. She would never dream of such a thing. Her husband had always* been good both to witness and their children, and she could have no . ieason whatever for suggesting a separation from him. Witness knew all about the arrangement by which her husband cultivated the ground at Mrs Strang's-place. Mr Harilon cross-examined at'-".length. The witness maintained that the stories i about her husband were untrue. ' *At this stage the Court: adjourned i. till 10 p'clock this moruing v -<- i