The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-04-13
MOLESTATlON CASE
INVOLVING MINOR
RELATED IN COURT


Supply, N. c., a S3-year-old
married man with three chill
dren, was convicted of taking
indecent liberty with a child in
Recorders Court on Tuesday, as
Judge w. F. Baum cleared the
courtroom in order to hear tes-
timony by his alleged victim, an
eight year old, second-grade
student.
The young girl, who was
dwarfed by the chair in which
she sat, explained to the elderly
Judge Baum that the defendant
had come to her home on several
occasions during the afternoon
Of April s and described how
he had "said was as pretty
as a peach and put my arm
around him." The small witness
recalled that "tlle man had
smelled like beer" and said that
the defendant had "asked me to
get in the car with him." The
tinaid child coaxed to speak loud
er on several occasions by Judge
Baum, who leaned over the
bench to catch the words Of the
tiny witness whose legs failed
to reach the floor as she twitch-
ed in the witness chair.
The eight year old told the
Judge that the man had also
stated that "you and me are go
ing to do some digging in a
minute, before driving away
and returning to her home later
in the evening. The defendant
heard her testimony without a
show Of emotion and sat alone
at the defense table while the
child identified him as the man
who had molested her.
Hewett, the defendant, later
took the stand to deny that he
had been at the home of his
young accuser and gave a COM
plete account Of his whereabouts
during the afternoon and early
evening Of April s, which was
supported and contradicted by
witnesses. The defendant denied
every accusation against him and
stated that his car, q blue and
white Ford, which had been
identified by the child and
others as having been at the
home Of the victimr was park
ed in a downtown parking lot
during the time that the moles-
tation is alleged to have occurr-
ed. He admitted having driven
to Mack's Fishing Center at
Wanchese on the night Of April
s at approximately 7:3O pm;
but testified that his car never
left the highway.
The defendant also admitted
having 1.-TWO small drinks1 at the
Fort Raleigh Hotel on the af-
ternoon Of April 5 with q color
ed bell-hop; in the kitchen, at
ten minutes until six on the
afternoon in question, and
brought witnesses to the stand
who confirmed that they had
been with him earlier in a truck
as they returned from work at
Oregon Inlet, where Hewett was
employed by the Army Engi-
neers.
The mother Of the young VIC
tim glared at the defendant from
the witness chair as>she recalled
a phone call which she "receiv-
ed from him" at about 9 pm.
when he asked her "if / didn't
want to come with him and get
a lot Of loving" Hewett stated
that during this period he was
in a pool room talking with a
cousin. He admitted having q
beer there, but stated that he
later attended a movie and re-
turned to his hotel where Off
GERS arrested him for "some-
thing he didn't know anything
about"
The child's mother said that
she recognized the defendants
voice on the phone because ne
had stopped at her home earlier
in the afternoon and "said that
he was an insurance agent IN
terested in learning about the
tractor which caused Jon VIII
liams DEATH" II noticed his
voice didn't have the brcgue that
we have down here; 1t was the
same voice that ! heard on the
phone" she said.
A twelve year old baby-sitter,
who said she '.hid behind a
tree" when Hewett pulled into
the yard Of the victims home on
April s, also identified the de
fendant as "the same man" who
had talked to the girl who was
in her charge.
Hewett answered every ques-
ton by the county attorney with
franlmess and deliberation. He
told the court that he had never
been in court for any offense
Of q criminal nature, except fol