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Family Notices

THE WAn.

KINC EDWARD MEDAL AWARD.

Aberdare Priest.

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Aberdare Priest. CHARCED WITH A SERIOUS OFFENCE. A man who at the previous hearing was attired in clerical garb and giving the name of Ernest Arthur Cawthorne, was brought up on remand in custody at Bristol Police Court on Wednesday charged with unlawfully inciting one, William Genders to procure a girl not being of the unfortunate class for an improper purpose. The magistrates were Alderman Swash and Mr. Stanley Gange. Mr. J. Green (town-clerk's office) pro- secuted. Mr. J. C. Gilmore defended, and among those present in court were Monsignor O'Reilly, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, and Canon Lee, of Bristol. The case had aroused intense interest throughout South Wales, and it had been rumoured that the prisoner was a well-known Catholic priest in a Glamor- gan town. To-day prisoner wore a cravat and an ordinary lounge coat, and kept his eyes closed throughout the hearing. Defendant is 38 years of age, and a well-built, fresh complexioned man. Throughout the hearing he seemed as if frequently engaged in prayer, and hard- ly onoe opened his eyes. Mr. Green, in opening the case, said that on May 30 he received a letter, and afterwards commenced correspondence with the prisoner on lines which he considered would appeal to a man of that calibre. Genders told the man in a letter that he had two girls, one aged 12 hnd the other 14, at home. He did not sign the letter, but suggested a reply to a Bristol paper. He addressed the letter to the Rev. E. A. Cawthorne, 109 High Street, Merthyr. A few days later an adver- tisement appeared in that paper: "Letter received. Many thanks. Meet Templemead Station, Thursday, for Cinema." On the day fixed Genders made an alteration of the place of meeting by telegram, and on a later day an adver- tisement appeared in the same paper stating that the telegram had arrived too late, and that he had been disap- pointed in having to wait at the station without seeing the girls, and asking Genders to write to him. Genders then wrote, and he received a wire from Cawthorne, saying he would arrive at the Bristol Station to meet the girls at 11.30 a.m. on the following Wednesday. On that day Genders met him at the station without the children, whom he said he had failed to bring with him that day. Genders showed him two photographs of Gwen, aged fourteen, and Doris, aged twelve. Defendant seemed pleased with the photographs, and he said he would come to Bristol on the following Tuesday and would like to stay with Gwen. He said he was dis- appointed at not seeing the girls that day, and asked Genders if he could get him any other girl for that afternoon. Genders said he could not do so, and the following day Genders received another letter from Merthyr thanking him for his kindness. He wished to know for certain whether the girls would be at the house on the following day. Let them," he wrote, meet me at the Picture Palace at 2.30 p.m. I will take them to the pictures and give them tea afterwards. Then I will bring them home and see you, and afterwards go to the first. house at the Hippo- drome." I will bring them straight home," the letter continued. I simply love to see young girls. I will give you the £ 2 that I promised you, and El on each future occasion. In order to gain time, Genders replied to the effect that the money offered was not enough, and this brought another letter from Merthyr stating that the writer was awfully disappoint- ed with Gender's letter, adding: "I know it was not your fault, but jE2 is, really as much as I can afford at once, but you will have the benefit of regular business. However, I must look else- where, I suppose. I am sure, the girls would have liked me, and I would have been so kind to them. I would have been their friend. I am coming to Bristol on Tuesday."—The writer, con- tinuing again, asked Genders to -find him a little girl in short dress, about fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen. He sug- gested that the girl should wait where Genders had met him, and hold a hand- kerchief in her hand. We will," he I added, "go to a little room near the station that I know. I will give her 10s. Don't trouble to come yourself, but I will send 5s. to you."—The writer again remarked that she must be a young girl.—Upon the receipt of the letter certain communications were made to the police, and at the station waiting the arrival of the train were Superintendent Panner and Detective Inspector Watts. They saw the de- fendant alight, and he appeared to be looking for someone. He was asked if his name was Cawthorne. He de- nied that it was, but on being con- fronted with Genders, he admitted that his name was Cawthorne, and that his address was 109 High Street, Merthyr. He was taken to the Police Station under a warrant. When searched documents were found on him to show that he was Archibald Ernest Suther- land, Catholic priest, of Aberdare. William Genders said he was a clerk out of employment. In one of his letters he said that about two years ago a dis- tant relative had left little girls in his and his wife's charge. On June 16 he received a letter from defendant, and replied to it the same day to the effect that he was sorry to have disappointed him on the day he paid his visit to Bristol, adding that his wife was not satisfied with the terms of defendant's offer. "She was under the impression you were prepared to pay far more than this. I will, however, bear you in mind. 1 will probably write you further shortly. I feel sure I shall ultimately be able to comply with your wishes." Mr. Green: What was your object in sending that letter? Witness: In order to put him off. as on the follow- ing Tuesday I was expected to produce the children. Witness received another letter on June 20 from the same address. He had made a communication to the police on the 19th, and on the 20th, with Superintendent Tanner and Detective- Inspector Wallace, he went to the rail- way station and confronted defendant, who admitted he had seen witness be- fore. In fact, there were no children named Gwen and Doris under witness's care, and lie had no children of his own. —Cross-examined by Mr. Gilmore, witness said: My object in starting i the correspondence was to try and trap the writer of the letter that I had received. That first letter was not written to me. The whole thing," said Genders, was a 'plant' from start to finish." Detective Inspector Wallace gave evidence of the arrest of the defendant at Stapleton Road. When arrested de- fendant made several appeals to be al- lowed to go, stating that he would be ruined if the case went on. Witness found on defendant tll 18s. 4.1d., four- teen photographs of young girls, and a registration card bearing the name and address, Arthur Ernest Sutherland, Catholic priest, of Monk Street, Aberdare. He had a bag with him con- taining night attire. Witness on the following day went to defendant's resi- dence at Aberdare and found there a number of photographs of young girls. The Vicar-General assured the Bench that defendant's Ecclesiastical super- iors would mete out so severe punish- ment to him that he would not again during his lifetime be in a position to repeat such an offence against public morals as was now alleged against him. The defendant was committed to the- Bristol Assizes next week.

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