MIXED DRINKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 75, 24 November 1906, Page 5

MIXED DRINKS.

A Bust and a Busted Melon.

Dirty Degradation at Palmerston North;

There -was a lot of talk of social ostracism indulged m at the Criminal sittings of the Supreme Court on Monday last, wfaeii: the principal actresses m a drunken, drama were two women. It was, of 'course, foreign to the issue before the Court, which was whether one Maria Neary, alias "Gertie" Neary, otherwise Smith, had biffed a Mrs Ellen Russell over * the head with a brandy bottle at Palmerston North, on. September 23 < last. Drinking women ostracise* themselves from society, and as a rule once they stray from the paths of sobriety and virtue their reformation is practically impossible. Judging from the characters of both the females m this drunken row, society is -well rid of them.

The Crown side, of the case was that on Sept. 22 last Maria, who is not exactly an old friend of Mrs Russell, but a "drunken acquaintance," as she put it, though Mr Wilfofd, I who defended, suggested that the women met m gaol, came to Palmerston N. together, and started boozing. Maria put m the night at Mrs Russell's place, and the latter, more than once during the night, crept m from her own bedroom, wherein was confined her husband, who had a broken leg, to have a awig at some swankey that Maria had thoughtfully provided for the Sabbath. Those swics raon got the bottle empty, and parly the next day the lady of the house wished Maria to leave the premises, and Maria without reason declined to go, alleging that she had as much right there as Ellen herself. This refusal of course made Ellen f.tand on her dignity and the upshot was that she was knocked violently off it by Something thrown at her by Maria, presumed /to be an empty brandy bottle. Maria's aim was not as erratic as that of her sex is supposed to be, for the missile caught Ellen above the left temple. It cut deep and she bled like a pig, besides beintr knocked unconscious. Dr. Martin was sjTit for and found her lying all of a heap m the garden. She fairly reeked of liquor, and from his observations he concluded that she was n. chronic alcoholist. No one saw the bottle thrown ; though when Ellen's husband hobbied on the scene she uunrled that Maria had hit her wilh a bottle , though Maria wasn't a bad second with her assertion that the ojd girl had fallen.

Mr Wilford tried to brand Ellen as be m" an old gaol-bird ; but she t-ould not be prevailed upon to admit to more than that she had been m gaol for a breach of the Prohibition Act and for abusing her husband, the jsaid abuse consisting of obscene lanMaria's defence was that> instead of hitting the old girl over the head with