Clean Women, Dirty Politics

Crisp and formal in blue serge and high wing collar, Premier John Brownlee of the Province of Alberta sat in court at Edmonton last week with his sweetly sedate wife to hear himself accused of "enticement and seduction."

Months ago faithful Minister of Public Works McPherson charged that the suit was a political frame-up to ruin the Premier and besmirch Alberta's United Farmers Party in the person of its chief. But last week the Press had eyes chiefly for the plaintiff, beauteous, blonde Miss Vivian MacMillan who is exactly the type Hollywood likes to cast for stardom in courtroom dramas of clean women and dirty politics.

Counsel for Premier Brownlee invited attention to a young Edmonton medical student, John Caldwell, charging him and Miss MacMillan with conspiracy to de fame the Premier's character. For this defamation Mr. Brownlee asked $10,000 damages in a counter suit.

Six good men and true make a jury in Alberta. Before them Miss MacMillan appeared as her own star witness in cool summer hat and frock. She faced the impassive Premier with a story of how at a picnic in tiny Edson when she was 18 he told her she was a very handsome woman, mentioned the opportunities for employment in Edmonton and said that Mrs. Brownlee would keep an eye on her if she chose to come to Alberta's metropolis. She came, got a secretarial job in the Attorney-General's office, and Mrs. Brownlee was always asking her to tea. This nobody denied. In fact Mrs. Brown lee still appeared to have last week a certain fondness for Miss MacMillan. Put on the stand the Premier's grey-haired wife testified : "Vivian was very dear to me. Just like a daughter. She was cer tainly one of my family. She was a normal and healthy girl--a ray of sunshine."

The seduction, according to Vivian MacMillan, consisted in Premier Brownlee's telling her that illness had caused Mrs. Brownlee, who had borne him two strapping sons, to become his wife in name only and that this drove him nearly frantic. "He told me he needed me as a pal," testified Miss MacMillan. "I told him that if I did such a thing it would be a sin. He told me that he could not go on as Premier of Alberta unless I would give in to him. I seemed to be under a spell. He seemed to be playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse. I couldn't stop going out with him. His influence was too strong."

Six months of going out with the Premier of Alberta in his motor car on starry nights were described by Miss MacMillan without coming to the point until counsel for the Premier cut in : "He made a proposition to you to part with your honor?"

"No, he didn't say 'part with my honor.' " mused Vivian MacMillan. "He said it would be doing the honorable thing." Since Mrs. Brownlee appeared to like having the ray of sunshine for a house guest, Miss MacMillan was able to do the honorable thing under the Premier's own roof. She testified that he turned on water in the bathtub to cover the noise, tiptoed into her room and led her back to his, tiptoeing in step with him "so that the footsteps would sound like one person." He also gave her, she said, large black pills.

"Large black pills!" snorted counsel for the Premier. "A boon to the medical profession! This man was committing abortion on you -- was that the idea?"

"He told me they would prevent trouble," said Miss MacMillan quietly, then parried cross examination as to the medical student, John Caldwell. He proposed to her, she said, but when she told him about Premier Brownlee he withdrew his offer of marriage, offered instead his advice on how to sue the Premier and recover damages. When she finally broke with him, according to Miss MacMillan, Premier Brownlee was "a love-torn, sex-crazed victim of passion."

In reporting such bits of the trial as this. Alberta Opposition papers went to such lengths last week that Mr. Justice Ives before whom the suit was being heard decided there had been contempt of court by reporters and their publishers.

"The matter is serious" cried Mr. Justice Ives "because in this case, unlike a criminal action, the jury is free to read the newspapers and is in the same position as the public. I shall inflict punishment with the hope of deterring interference with the administration of justice and the rights to which litigants are entitled."

The judge then smacked heavy fines, with alternatives of jail sentences at hard labor in Fort Saskatchewan jail, upon Publisher Charles E. Campbell and Reporter Cowper of the Edmonton Bulletin. Both grumblingly paid.

Under cross examination Premier Brownlee admitted taking Miss MacMillan for motor rides and said he kissed her good-by when leaving town but stoutly denied "kisses of passion." According to Miss MacMillan she never loved the Premier despite her repeated surrenders but "there was always a deep respect on my part."

Just before the six-man jury retired Premier Brownlee withdrew his counter suit for damages, saying "I desire only vindication of my honor." To grant or not to grant the Premier's desire the jury debated for four hours and 45 minutes, then brought forth lusty Alberta cheers by finding him guilty of seduction and awarding damages of $10,000 to Miss MacMillan and $5,000 to her father.

Sternly Mr. Justice Ives compressed his lips. "Gentlemen of the jury," said he, "I strongly disagree with your verdict and reserve decision." Under Canadian procedure this should permit Premier Brownlee to carry his defense to a superior court. Hotly, counsel for Miss MacMillan protested that her family are too poor to continue to sue the Premier.

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