MINNIE'S MARRIAGE

NZ Truth, Issue 62, 25 August 1906, Page 6

MINNIE'S MARRIAGE

UNAVOIDABLY POSTPONED.

Wanton's Wickedness m Whittaker-

Street.

Bryiic's Bride Boobed.

Though William James Byrne said he is engaged to, and, from the wit-ness-box, expressed his willingness to marry Minnie O'Connor, a good-look-ing, well-d>re.ssed young woman, charged before Mr" Riddell, S.M., at the Magistrate's Coiirt yesterday, with soliciting prostitution and being an idle and disorderly person having insufficient means of support, it was not considered as a valid reason why Minnie O'Connor should not -be sent to gaol.

Unfortunately the fact was known that the young woman was' not a new hand at the game ; her record showed that she was no stranger to gaol. . . <

Off Ghuznee-stre&t runs Whittakerstreet, a locality wherein reside many respectable folk, who, of late have -been subjected to much, annoyance from shameless street-walkers.. These women, having importuned men from neighboring thoroughfares, cut their •crapulous capers under the glare ol the, electric light without regard to depency, and who, when remonstrated with, h„ye turned round and reviled all and sundry "m a shocking manner. Police protection -'was- therefore-. Invoked and the gathering m of Minnie ■O'Connor wr.s part of the result.

On Monday, evening last Consi-ah-lcn--'. Stewart and McX el vie were m plain-; clothes, out to note things m the locality, when Minnie was observed pursuing her unlawful yet ancient calling m VVbibteker-str-evst. Wonulnlike, when nalibed, she pleaded for a chance; the man whom the' police caught with, her blubbered- like a baby, and said he had given heir Aye shilling^, nnd he way allowed to go free; Minnie, beins.; the chief offender, was ;kept m custody and wanted to know W ths •police were nor, "setting"- her, and being assured that' it was her unlucky night; very unkindly wanted to know why her sister was not "pinched," too ! It seemed more unfortunate, too, that while under police escort to the station, .she should collide with thi, man of her heart, to whom she' X7LH engaged to be married; and who, on his oath, had arranged to meet"Minnie near the sccn-e" of her operations that same night for no .oilier purpose 'than to fix upon the happy, day when he should slip a gold band on iver linger, proclaiming hex To .*. decent married woman. The arresting constables have hearts, and touched hy her pathetic story (cho had (old them she was to be- married aoon}, 'they stood by, when the lovers .met under such disadvantageous circumstances, and allowed him to con-, sole her by the information that lie would arrange for n lawyer for her.

The young man whom the police, found m a compromising position with Minnie, said he gave her' a' "crown. " When Minnie . was searched .that sum was not to -be- found. "What becahic of it ?" cxultjngly asked Mr Toogood, who was' for ttie defence. The suggestion was promptly :made that Minnie', had passed it t v o Byrne., That loving, swain was not virtuously indignant when it wss suggested that. he took Minnie's dollar ; ;but>he stated that, on the contrary, ho had only a few days previously given her thirty shillings to pay her board at the Caledonian. Hotel, which is near the Basin Reserve, and where Minnie represented she lived : but according to the police she resided m Willis-street. This difficulty about the "dollar" was not tnrashed out; evidently, as the blubbering young f man was not present to defend himself, 1 it was doubtless safer to think he was the liar. Byrne was not abashed m expressing his willingness to marry Minnie, whose parentage was of the most respectable, character ; but neither this fact nor anything else prevailed with the Bench, and for soliciting prostitution Minnie was sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment. On '.the second charge she got three months; sentences to run concurrently.