RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3427, 14 February 1874, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Saturday, February 14. (Before A. 0. Strode, Esq., R.M.)

Drunkenness.— Thomas Reilly was fined ss, in default, twenty-four hours’ imprisonment ; Anne Hardy, who put in the old plea of guilty, was fined L 5, or fourteen days’ imprisonment, his Worship remarking that if she were again brought up before long, she would be charged with habitual drunkenness.

Got her deserts. —The notorious Lizz : e Powell was charged with having no visible means of support.—John Williams, clockmaker, residing at the corner of Manor '(Taco and Melville street, said prisoner lived about 150 yards below him near a timber yard. Some time ago he bad occasion to call at her house, and prisoner lifted the blind and said that she was surprised at Lis goimr there as she had a “chap ” inside, tie knew by that she meant a man. He had frequently seen her take men into her house both before and after inveigling witness’d daughter.— —Constable Beasley had his attention called to prisoner early in January, He saw a woman named Elizabeth Gray lying on a “shakedown” on the floor. That woman had been ponvicted of habitual drunkenness, and had beep frequently before the Court.— Prisoner : Did you eyejr see anyone else in my house?— Witness ; I only palled thereon one other occasion, and saw a little boy there. He ran away when be saw me,—Prisoner : o you know whether Gray is in the habit of going to my house ?—Witness : Only by her statement. She said that she was passim* your bouse when you called her in to tea.— By the Magistrate : Has her general character been that of an orderly or disorderly person?— Witness ; Most disorderly. I have frequently seen her take drunken men with her.—Sergeant O’Neill had known prisoner since 1865 or 1866. In 1866 she was living in a brothel in Walker street, and in the same year in a brothel at the back of Bristol House. In 1869. at Oamaru, she was convicted on a charge of larceny, when witness conveyed her to Dunedin. During the last eighteen months or two years her general character had been very bad.—His Worship : What do you regard her as?— Witness: I look upon her as a prostitute.—Constable Rooney had noticed prisoner during the last ten months. Had sepn her prowling about the streets by day and night, at all hours. Had thought she was spliciting prostitution. Had seen her opt as late as twelve at night, ■"he f was a quiet, sly prostitute. ' Hqws had occurred in hey place, and prisoner called the attention of the police to ft. —His Worship : Do you know the meaning of that? A blind, is it not?-Witness replied in the affirmative,— Detective Shury said he arrested the girl Lawson on Thursday Sub-Inspector Mallard : Did that girl make any statement to you relative to the prisoner?— His Worship having been informed that prisoner was not present, would not allow the question to be put.—Mr Mallard : From something the girl told you, what do yon know of the prisoner ? The witness : Independent of anything she said, he knew her to be a prostitute.—Mrs M‘Donald, & neighbor of prisoner’s, gave similar evidence. S.carcely a girl passed prisoner’s house, but she tried tp entice her in. Witness was fearful of the consequences to her own girl through prisoner’s conduct. This was the case for the police.—Prisoner, being called on to give an account of herself! said that the fireman of the Golden Age kept her, and paid the rent of the house she lived in. Mrs Mason stayed with her.—His Worship : What; the notorious Mrs Mason?— Witness: Decidedly not.—His Worship; What does she do ? Witness ; She goes out sewing. The prisoner further said she did work frequently. Hia Worship ; Well, Elizabeth Powell, from the evidence before me I have not the slightest doubt that you are a vagrant of the worst order a most dangerous vagrant—one who should not be allowed to be at large. Yon were charged a short time snipe, as you -well know, with abduction—with enticing a little girl into your house—for immoral purposes. You do not seem content with little girls, for you ask a woman whom you never saw before into your place to tea. Well we know —at least, I know—what occurs. You make Ver “dead ” drunk, and the woman is proslituced. You are a horrid, abominable character for one so young, You have gone on this way for six years; what do you think will be your end ? It is time you were looked after, and 1 shall mark my sense of your conduct. You are sentenced to be kept in the gaol for the space of three calendar months’ with hard labor.