IS BERTHA BARMY?

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 5

IS BERTHA BARMY?

A Case of Emotional Insanity.

Gets Another Chance.

It must naturally follow that siaice thie defence of emdtioiral insanity is being so successfully worked m '■<- the Yewnited States that it will .get over to New Zealand. M fact it has, as on Moiiiday last, one Bertha Harris, charged with false pretences before Dr. McArthur, really got another chance because her counsel, Mr tVilford; pleaded she was mad or sHly, at any rate, that she was dotty > aJad, that 'was just as good as ehiottonal insanity ; and there can be' little d6ub<t that Bertha is barmy. Bertha is a stylishly dressed and brightly ''sihiilinig yoiiing. sirngle person with a pronunent boko, which nvars her b'oauty at a Hich, glance, but that's not her fault. The little affair .up against her Vhis lime was of having on Feb. 32 obtained £1 Is from one Ernest Jay by I'ieans of a false protpnee-

False pretences, seem to be Bertha's long suit, '*as l she has several convictions against her for that class of offence. Just prior to the commission of this offence, she. had heen up before Dr. MqArthur and convicted and discharged on & charge of obtaining goads from a milliner's on the strength of a @ood tale, and no sooner Was she liberated than she flew to Jay and gulled him for a guinea. Mr Wilford, who appeared for her, asked for one more chance, and described her as being a high-spirited young woman, who could not calculate calmly v what she was doing. Since she was last m trouble she had worked 'hard and" had become a perfect jewel m the household where s4ve was employed, and lie (Mr Wilford) could say irO more for her, and would leave her m the Bench's hands. The Magistrate told Bertha thatf he was quite prepared to give her another show, on the distinct understanding that she should endeavour to retrieve herself. He admonished her to Shu-n temptation and not to get things by false pretences. He ordered her to coinfi up. for sentence wfy&n called upon;