A PERVERT AT LARGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17347, 12 May 1924, Page 7

A PERVERT AT LARGE.

CLOCK TOWER INCIDENT. OFFENDER ESCAPES. A few minutes after six o’clock on Saturday night three little girls standing at the basement of the clock tower weie horrified at the unseemly actions 1 of a man who had thrust his presence upon them. The man, who has been fully described by witnesses, is evi- , dentk a pervert of the worst type. A young man who was standing close at hand, on seeing the man’s disgraceful action, immediately set out after a policeman. Unfortunately there was no officer in the vicinity at the moment, and the young fellow did not first assure himself that the offender | would be there' when he returned. T 1 j: nearest policeman was on point duty j at the Bank Corner. AY hen he relumed with the officer he was surprised j |to find that the perpetrator of the I offence had disappeared. It was not to be wondered at, however, for this type of man has invariably more than average cunning. Not only was the offender gone, but the little girls, too, j hacl disappeared. The authorities point out that what , the young man who witnessed the act should have clone was to secure someone to keep the little girls and the offendei under surveillance. In fact, it wa* quite within his power to have arrested the man and have called upon ether civilians. Civilians have just as much power as the police officer in cases of this kind, a fact that is nob j I genc-rallv known. In future cases | j people who happen to be in the locality i jat the time of an offence should not j ' lose sight of the criminal. | | Tt is about five weeks since previous j cases of a similar kind were reported i to the police. A girl aged seventeen j ! was walking along High Street, not I I far from Barbadoes Street, when she ; was assaulted. A j-oung man rushed ; across towards the assaulter, who im- i mediately made off. The pursuer \ raised a hue and cry and got assist- j ance. but the man was able to get Other case 3, too. have been report- j ed. bur the police have boon serin;* ’•

nesses who have an aversion to furnishing the officers with the necessary evidence. The hope is entertained, howoiT(?r. that the man responsible for will I><• brought to jus-