A SCANDALOUS SCAMP.
Taylor's Terrible Trait.
Lunatic or Pervert.
For many months past glaring indecencies of the exposure order have been perpetrated freely from one end of the city to the other, and though police and public alike were on the qui vive, the singular audacity of the perverted scoundrel, and the parts and places he availed himself of, enabled him to steer a clear course. Ladies and young girls were continually confronted by the indecent ruffian, who, from the lengthy period he utilised for his putrid purpose, and his strange equipment, must certainly have been a very clever lunatic, or a moral pervert of a real sinister type. It is not always easy to secure the evidence of ladies in such cases, but, luckily, with public interest, four courageous women appeared against the coward and exposed him
AS A GUILTY SCOUNDREL. Young boys were also witnesses of his degeneracy, and it was mainly through these, all telegraph messengers, that he was finally pounced upon.
Thomas Lawrence Taylor appeared in court last Monday, before, Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., on three charges, he gave his age as twenty-five, and his profession as a baker. It was quite revolting in itself to consider such a monster in the cleanly occupation of the bakery trade! On the first count he was charged with exposing himself in Bond and Crawford-streets to several telegraph boys at night. On these occasions Taylor wore a big overcoat, resembling a policeman's, and, despite the terrible Dunedin weather, nothing underneath but a wretched bathing suit and a long pair of stockings. Thus garbed, night after night, he sallied forth to perpetrate his indecency on women, girls, and young boys. He was at the disgusting game some time, until familiarity with the business encouraged audacity, and he forsook the town belt and the still suburbs for the more exciting dangers of the city streets. Bond and Crawford streets brought him plainly under the notice of the intelligent young telegraph lads, and they fixed him eventually.
The second count, charged him with exposing himself to two young ladies one evening in Dowling-street. These courageous ladies came forward and tendered evidence. If other ladies who, had observed the scoundrel long ere this, had come forward at the time, he would long ago have been relegated to his proper abode. In regard to the Dowling-street exposure, his attire seemed to have considerably shrunk, as even the bathing suit had disappeared.
HE HAD NOTHING ON BUT HUMSELF and his enveloping overcoat. Both the telegraph boys and the ladies identified Taylor in court as the culprit.
The third charge was of a particularly indecent nature, as Taylor availed himself of a leading, well-lit street in the heart of the city, and exposed himself one evening outside a large shop window to two ladies attending inside. He was in his usual indecent, well-ventilated evening dress with the huge overcoat to shield his scandalous effrontery. The two ladies identified their man.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and called three witnesses with a view of establishing an alibi to each charge, but, as the S.M. correctly remarked, their evidence proved nothing, except what was incriminating.
Inspector Foughy: Taylor is unknown to the police, but from what we gather he appears to have been in Dunedin for eighteen months. Offences of the nature detailed have frequently occurred in town for many months past, and from the many descriptions obtained I am of the opinion that this man was the offender all the time.
The S.M.: Accused must be convicted, his identity having been established to my satisfaction. Last Friday, I suggested he should receive the attention of a medical man, and this course was adopted. The gaol surgeon examined him, and reports that he is a man of average intelligence. Still something must be wrong with a man who acts in such a degrading manner as he has done. He is evidently a pervert, and the only satisfactory course to pursue in regard to him is to order a period of detention for reformation. Accused will be detained for a period of two years for the purpose of reformative treatment. -NZ Truth, 20/6/1914.
Thomas Taylor joined the army in 1916, became a driver for the Army Service Corps, got as far as England and was hospitalised with hemorrhoids. He was invalided home the next year.
Plain-clothes Constable McCulloch arrested on description to-day a man named Thomas Lawrence Taylor, who will be charged with theft of an overcoat from the Central Dining Rooms. -Evening Star, 4/8/1917.
In the City Police Court yesterday morning, a first offender, charged with drunkenness, was convicted and discharged, while Thomas Lawrence Taylor, charged with a breach of his prohibition order and with obscene conduct, was remanded till Monday. -Otago Daily Times, 16/11/1917.
SCANTILY CLAD.
Thomas Lawrence Taylor (Mr J. Batchelor) was charged with having indecently exposed himself last night in Oxford Terrace.
In asking for a remand Detective sergeant D. Connolly said that the excused had been found wandering about in Oxford Terrace clad only in an overcoat.
Mr Batchelor applied for bail.
The Magistrate: There is always an extraordinary position when bail is asked for in cases like this. The circumstances might be such as to make it undesirable to give the man his liberty. However, I can grant bail without injustice. The accused was remanded to appear on Wednesday, and bail was allowed for £500 and two sureties of £250 each. -Star, 7/3/1924.
INDECENT EXPOSURE
Thomas Lawrence Taylor (Mr Batchelor) was charged with indecent exposure in Montreal Street and with a similar offence in Cambridge Terrace. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. In defence Mr Batchelor said that accused had been drinking and remembered nothing of the matter. The Magistrate said that it was not the first time he had been up to that. He had been convicted of the same thing in Dunedin. Taylor was convicted and sentenced to twelve months' hard labour on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative. -Star, 12/3/1924.
REMAND GRANTED
Magistrate's Court
In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr J. G. Warrington, S.M., Thomas Lawrence Taylor, a baker, aged 60, was charged with indecent exposure in a public place. He was represented by Mr W. McAlevey. Taylor pleaded not guilty to the charge, and on the application of Chief Detective Hall he was remanded until Monday next. Bail was granted in his own recognisance of £50 and one surety of a like amount, a condition being that he should report daily to the police. -Otago Daily Times, 15/4/1950.
Thomas Taylor died at Monticello nursing home for soldiers in 1959.
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