Politics and religion avoided
At yesterday’s meeting of the Otago Education Board the Secretary reported a contribution of £10 10s from the Protestant Political Association to provide prizes or medals for an essay competition by the pupils of the Fifth or Sixth Standards in the Otago district. The subject was "The Rise and Development of British Constitutional Government, with Special Reference to the Cromwellian Period." — The board, without discussion, decided to decline the offer.
Guilt admitted in writing
At a special sitting of the Balclutha Court yesterday before Mr H.J. Dixon SM, a young man was charged with indecently assaulting a girl aged 16 years at Glenomaru on June 9. Chief-detective Lewis conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr John Wilkinson appeared for the accused, who was a deaf mute, and had been working for a farmer in the Glenomaru district. The complainant and her twin sister gave evidence that on the date in question, while they were returning from the store, a mile and a-half from their home, the accused chased them, caught hold of the complainant, and threw her on her back on the ground and interfered with her clothing. She struggled violently, and her sister struck at the accused from behind. He produced a length of rope from an inside pocket and tried to tie the complainant with it, but she broke loose and the two girls fled. In the struggle the girl’s woollen hat came off, and they saw accused pick the hat up and make off with it. The girls ran off to the nearest house and made a complaint. Next day accused left his employer. After the accused had gone his employer found the girl’s hat underneath the mattress of his bed. Accused returned to Glenomaru a week later, and his employer ordered him to leave, alter taxing him with the assault on the girl, which he denied. Recently accused was arrested in Christchurch. After the evidence of complainant and her sister, the neighbour to whose place they had run and the accused’s former employer had been taken and placed before the accused for perusal he entered a plea of guilty in writing. Mr Wilkinson stated that the accused had lost his father and mother and had been educated for some years at the Sumner Deaf Mute School. He had known him all his life, and had looked upon him as harmless and inoffensive. His former employer had testified that accused could read and write well, and eagerly read the newspapers. He had not noticed any deficiency mentally. Accused was committed in custody to the Supreme Court at Dunedin for sentence. — ODT, 16.10.1924
Compiled by Peter Dowden
