A BEASTLY BLUDGER.

NZ Truth, Issue 133, 17 August 1907, Page 6

A BEASTLY BLUDGER.

The Fixing of Faithfull.

. r K< 'bright specimen of loafer has been happening roanpd Christchurgh lately m the person of John Faith-' full, who was charged with being a scoundrel pure and simple ; and that he lived on prostitution, and on any people he could take down. He pleaded not guilty, and Lawyer Lcatham appeared for him and pleaded his very dubious cause. It seems' that the dirty-looking coot lived on a woman named Mary Sid on, who is a forlorn and unfortunate female. She visits the river banks and other places with temporary lovers, and she has been dn the habit of giving 'her few shillings, or most of it, to the dog that has been living with her. The* pair of theni have been lining together as man and wife, and the 'other xiight, on the arrival of the express train from Timaru, the coot was wiried and smashed four quids' worth of crockery m his DEAR LADY-LOVE'S HOUSE.So he was -arrested. Through pique, .. it appears. At all events when the case came before Beak Bishop the defendant said that he had had a horse and cart and had been carting fish, but that he had sold the show a few weeks previously., It apparently was a damned nuisance to him, . and took up. .(too much space m his back yard. 'Tec Ward gave the prisoner a tell of a character, and said that so far as he knew the fellow hadn't done " any work lor two years. He hadn't seen him working at all,- and he lived on prostitution.. In answer to Mr. Leathamv who appeared for the sorry-looking objectin the dock, the 'Tec said he didn't know that Mary Sidon (whose crockery, had been broken m .the fracas the night previously) had been left five [hundred quid by her mother. She had children of her own, a couple,, who were being kepit by the State. The row started, it appears, owing to his paramour starting to yap at the prisoner about old times, and old times aren't the best memories to be cherished. Ward told, the Bench m Ms best volatile style that the- woman, concerned was no better than she ought to foe. Even if he hadn't'i broken the lady's crockery Faithfull would have been jugged this week for sure, because the chap was, really no account and ought to be m quod, anyway. It was quite true, he -'said (m answer to a question by Mr Leattiam) that there were no complaints about the house the couplfi lived m. They lived together, and that was all about it And she was a married woman. j 'Tec Bishop said he had known Faithfull for the last twelve months, and he ASSOCIATED WITH PROSTITUTES AND THIEVES, The woman, Mary Sidon, , with whom he lived, came out at nights and solicited prostitution, not only m the streets, but on the river banks,, and Faithfull waited for the money she obtained from men of pleasure. So soon as she left the nver bank she met the prisoner m Colombo-street and gave Wm the cash. In answer to counsel the 'Tec said that he never knew accused to do a day's work m his life. Why is it that you people knew that the prisoner has been leading the kind of life you say he has you ttHHi t arrest him ?— Well, he was lucky. 'Tec Gibson told the Court that the prisoner didn't know what work was because he didn't do any at any time. He lived with two prostitutes, Mary Shechan and Mary Sidon. .Counsel .contended that Faithfull

couldn't be convicted, of vagrancy., He showed by the evidence of the defendant that he had been working m various places, and had had coin saved up. Magistrate Bishop said that a man who had been convicted of being an idle and disorderly person as prisoner had been ; wiho did no work, and who knocked about town living on the prostitution of women of the very worst type that had come before the Court, deserved no consideration. There was ample evidence of "consorting,", anyhow . : Twelve months.