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4 corrections, most recently by iamheywood - Show corrections

SOUTH PURRUMBETE CASE GOES FOR TRIAL Before Messrs. H. Morrison, P.M, and M. Quinn, J.P., at the Camperdown Court of Petty Sessions, on Thursday, Richard Daffy was charged with unlawful intimacy with Sarah Henrietta Heywood, she being then over the age of 10 years and under the age of 16 years. Mr. T. W. Hancock conducted the prosecution and Mr. P. J. Holden appeared on behalf of accused. Mr. Hancock said the facts of the case were that the informant was in service at defendant's parents' house and that while there the offences occurred when the girl was only 14½ years of age. De- fendant had practically admitted the offence and had talked about marry- ing informant, but that had not come to anything so far. Mr. Holden asked that the witnesses be ordered out of court. His request was granted. Sarah Henrietta Heywood deposed that she was 16 years of age on 1st October, 1906. She went to work at defendant's parents' place on 8th February, 1905, and remained there till 26th January, 1906. The first time defendant commditted the offence was in March, 1905, and continued up till the time she left. Defendant visited her while she was working at Weerite and Camperdown. He promised to marry her. She wrote a letter to de- fendant but it was returned unopened. To Mr. Holden-She did not have any conversation with defendant about her age. Mrs. Daffy knew her age. She was told by her father when he went to take her away. Her father said she was 14. She was working at Jancourt, but left there on her own accord. She knew the defendant before she went to work at his mother's. Mrs. Daffy had remonstrated with her for going into defendant's room and had ordered her out of the room on two occasions. She remembered Mrs. Daffy hurting her shoulder on the door of the boys' bedroom, but not in trying to put her out of the room. She remembered a man named Egan who was working at Daffy's. He came the month she left. She had known him before. Mrs. Daffy did not get on to him for chasing witness from room to room. Witness did not make any com- plaint to anyone about defendant's conduct then or at any other time. Early in January, 1905, her father went to the police in Cobden about her, she having run away from home as he was going to strike me. Her brother told her to run away if her father ever tried to strike her. The reason her father was going to hit her was because she was going for some clothes where Egan and her brother were working. Eliza Heywood, mother of informant, deposed that the last witness was her daughter and was born on 1st October, 1890, at Wandin Yallock, near Lilydale. When witness first noticed her daughter's condition last Christmas she wrote to defendant but got no reply. She saw defendant in Camperdown and asked him what he intended to do in regard to her daughter. He said, "What can I do. Did not Sarah say I offered to pay ex- penses." He said he could not marry her. To Mr. Holden: Her daughter did not make any complaint while at Daffy's. She often said Dick Daffy was going to marry her. Senior-constable Arthur deposed that on 3rd.February, in consequence of what last witness told him, he saw the accused and said Mrs. Heywood had made a com- plaint in reference to her daughter Sarah, and she wanted to know what he intended to do. He said he would pay all ex- peanses. Witness said Mrs. Heywood would not be satisfied with that, and de- fendant said he could not marry her. Witness told him she was going to take out a warrant for his arrest. When arrested on the 12th inst. defendant said she told him when he went with her at Werrite she was was over 16. To Mr. Holden: Defendant did not attempt to deny anything when he questioned him. Defendant was committed for trial at the Supreme Court at Ballarat on 9th April, bail being allowed in £50 on his own recognisance and one surety of £50.

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