EXTRAORDINARY FEMALE INPERSONATION CASE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1101, 16 June 1882, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY FEMALE INPERSONATION CASE.

[Evening Post] A most amusing case occupied the attention of Mr Hardcastle and a tolerable array of spectators at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. It appears that a certain middle-aged gentleman, occupying an official position, whose wife and seven children ought by this time to have tamed his wandering fancy, fell in love with the stewardess of the Waketu during a recent trip on that vessel. Carried sway by his passion he wrote to her several letters, in one of which he asked her to meet him on the wharf last evening as soon as the steamer had arrived. The young lady showed the letter to her friend on board, and it was arranged to give the erring husband — who had thus " officially " declared his flame — a -warm reception. Accordingly the steward, a young fellow named William Franklin, dressed up in the fair one's own clothes, and prepared to act the part of the charmer, while the young lady herself put on a gentleman's coat and a pair of moustachios, the intention being to delude the old gentlemen with a storm of flour. The plot was, partially carried out, a large number of spectators -vratched the rencontre, but before the delude came the detective, and the unlucky steward was arrested on the spot, the young lady succeeding in escaping to the ship, and the disconsolate lover, ignominiously betrayed, beating a histy retreat. Franklin answered to his bail this; morning, and was charged with being an "idle and disorderly person within the meaning of the Vagrant Act, in that he had on his person certain articles of disguise, to wit, female apparel. Mr. E. Shaw conducted the defence, and pointed out that the offence complained of was committed in order to vindicate the honor of a young lady— the only one, as he pathetically remarked, that the ship carried, and of whom, consequently, the crew were very proud— and was an innocent attempt to teach this amorous old gentleman not to pursue his attentions where they were not wanted. Mr Shaw further contended that as no fines could be imposed for this oftence by the statute, but only imprisonment, therefore, the Act did not contemplate such practical jokes as had been committed in this colony, and which at one time had been very rife in London. The gist of the offence evidently lay ir the intent, and he urged his Worship to take a lenient view of the case, and look upon the explanation he had give as lawful excuse for the the offences committed. His Worship replied that he could not say from his seat on that Bench that it was not unlawful to put on .femala apparel, but he was quite ready ta

take a lenient view of the cases, and he would accordingly sentence the defendant to be imprisoned till the rising of the Court. Mr Shaw asked his Worship to let the defendant off •with a reprimand, as by the present decision the young lady would have to lose her clothes, which were now in the catacombs of the police. He was quite sure the Queen did not want them, while the young lady did. His "Worship declined to amend his decision and submitted that they would not find much difficulty in getting the wardrobe back. The Court then rose, and the defendant was discharged.