The law keeps lovers apart
Saturday, September 6, 1969 THE law had to part lovers, 31-yearold Atekini Tavola, a seaman on board the freighter Jean Philippe, and his 20-year-old sweetheart, Linda Clarke, who stowed away in the Jean Philippe to marry him in Suva.
On Saturday, September 6, 1969,
The Fiji Times reported Tavola was arrested in a Suva hotel on Thursday on a bench warrant issued by the magistrate in Suva on July 15 on which day he failed to surrender his bail.
"He had previously been convicted of an indecent assault on a 17-year-old girl in a ship at Suva Wharf on April 13, and remanded on bail for a probation officer's report and sentence," reported The Fiji Times.
When he did not appear on July 15, a bench warrant was issued. Tavola appeared in the magistrate's court in Suva on Thursday afternoon and was remanded in custody until Monday.
"His sweetheart who was refused permission to land from the ship because she was without the necessary documents and passport for entry, spent much of the previous day gazing from the rail of the Jean
Philippe. She was waiting for the cable to arrive from mother, Mrs P.Iraia, of Te Whaiti, giving her permission to marry Tavola. An AAP message to
The Fiji Times on Thursday, said Mrs Iraia had cabled consent to Linda and quoted her as saying: "I am quite happy about it."
There seems little chance, however, that Linda and Tavola will be able to marry at present. If she is allowed on shore under a fiancé's permit, she would have to put up a bond of more than $100," reported this newspaper.
The Jean Philippe was expected to sail that evening or early the next morning for Tonga and then to Australia.