RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 3735, 11 February 1875, Page 2

RESIDENT MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Thursday. February 11. (Before J. Bathgate, Esq., R.M,) D'minkenness.— Alfred Ayling was discharged with a caution. In ecency. —Jane Hackott, charged with this offence in Dowling street, was dismissed with a caution. A Dis eputable House. —Eliza Bowen was charged with Being the occupier of a house Fiequ uted by persons having no lawful m ans of supjioi t. a.r E. Conic defended.—John Bunce owned several houses in > tatford street. He had received rent r o twelve months for one of the houses from defendant on behdf of one Ueoige avies. to whom he let the house. When paying the rent she did not say she did so on behalf of Davies. The latter did not live in the house. He believed the house to be a brothel. Henry < 'larlc, chimneysweep, said he hj ed in a house adjoining that occupied by defondant. The “ladies” living with her were very good neighbors in the day time, but sang and danced at night. Witness had only been in the house once, and then on business (laughter), therefore he could not tell if the girls were prostitutes.—His Worship . How do they got their living ?—Witness : I cannot say.— Hts Worship: Do they sew? Milliners?— Witness; 1 don’t go into the house ; I simply pass up and down the street as you do. (Renewed laughter.)—ciergeant-Major Bevan said that with Sergeant Anderson he visited defendant’s house at 7.30 p.m. on the Bth inst. Besides defendant there were two other prostitutes named Mary Ellis and Isabella Kerrison present, and a Mrs Phillips, a woman of bad character. Defendant admitted being the occupier of the house, and that she paid the rent. She said that she was not married, but received money from one Mason at Invercargill. Complaints had been made to toe police of the misconduct of the women, and of their criticising ladies as they passed.—Sergeant Anderson pave simi'ar evidence—Mr Cook submitted that it would be a flagrant violation of common sense to s y tnat persons living in the weie frequenters. Defendant was charged with bein'' the occupier of a house “frequented” by persons having no lawful means of support. Howe.er immoral the women mipht be they must ive somewhere. He handed to the Bench a letter Irqra defendant’s mother, in which the latter said she was glad te hear from her daughter that she was returning to her home.— tlis Worship: Does defendant intend leaving Dunedin?—Mr Cook: Yes, within a week. I hat’s-why I mentioned the letter.—lnspector Mallard suggested that the case be adjourned for a week. If by that time defendant had left for Christchurch and the house been broken up—but under those circumstances only—then he would withdraw the case.—His Worship was prepared to adopt that course, but thought it right for future guidance that he should state the law as clearly as he could. The law was that any house so kept was within the statute, and if the keepers of such a house would not attend to the^ caution given by the police with regard to their conduct, he must administer the law as it stood, and in such a case it might be three months’imprisonment; he could not fine. To give the defendant a chance to leave the place and to break up the house, he would adjourn the case for fourteen days. Bye law Cases. —About thirty cases of infringmeiits of the Bye-1 aws were disposed of. Obtaining Money under False Pretences. Henry Charles Coleman pleaded guilty to obtaining L 9 worth of goods by false pretences, and was sent to gaol for six mouths. ]Left sitting.]