SWEET MARIE!

NZ Truth, Issue 119, 28 September 1907, Page 3

SWEET MARIE!

A FOUL AND FROWSY FEMALE. Taihape Police Court Incident.

. It has been the boast of Taihape till quite recently that the town was reformed, that it was behaving itself, that nobody was getting loaded to the tonsils, that the police court had served its day of usefulness, m fact, that there were no use for missionaries, as nobody wanted converting. Taihape has, however, been awakened ; it has got a shock, and it is wondering whether things are what they seem., and most of the inhabitants are beginning to think they have had a bad attack of nightmare. The awakening took place at the Police Court the other morning, when a female named Mary McElrovd. or Mclllroyde, it doesn't much matter, stood up penitent like the Mary of old, on a charge of swankey. Now, it so happens that Grace Palotta has lately been singin^ of the

SWEETNESS OF THE SOUND of the name of Mary, the Mary of Taihape is, therefore, held to be a i libel or a scandal or a reflection, or something damaging; to the aforesaid name, because if one Taihape paper is to be believed Mary was surrounded by an unwholesome smell, and had to be removed from the dock, and stood awa 1 - out of smelling distance till the Court had mustered sufficient courage to deal with her. To put the matter plainly, Mary fairly hummed, and the "Taihane Post" thus describes the smellful affair :— The unusual spectacle of a court being held with all persons concerned holding handkerchiefs to their noses was witnessed this morning m the local Police Court. The ! effluvia came from a female prisoner i and very soon after her advent m | the dock, prior to the commencement of proceedings, the windows of the court were opened. This failed to expel the odor, and another pi'jsoner, who shared the dock, suggested that he did not mind taking his full share of it, but he objected to beinnmurdered. He .was allowed to stand by the open .window. This individual's case was the first called on for hearing. Half-way through it one pressman left the table hurriedly ars took up his seat at the back of the court near the open door. He was followed by a second reporter. Ihen the presiding justice applied HIS HANDKERCHIEF TO HIS NOSTRIL'S and blew violently. Everyone present enveloped their noses m the folds ; of handkerchiefs, and the cause of the i occurence was taken from the dock j and escorted to an ante room. I When her case was called, she was led back., bringing with her the same i old aroma. The proceedings were conducted with all due despatch commenLurate with the sacred majesty of the law. and after she had tieparted for the open air the courthouse was left open for the fresh breath of heaven to waft suspicions of unclean humanity from its precincts.

Mary's awful crime was shikker, and the police, read a list of her previous convictions, including vagrancy, drunkenness, obscene lannia.se, etc.., extending oter various parts of N^w Zealand. It was also stated that the town would benefit by her removal, both m a sanitary sense and otherwise. Naturally." she was sorry, and the bench, taking her assurance that she would not touch another drop, let her oft with a ftite of 5s and 2s costs, or 48 hours. No mention was made of the wash, so, .therefore, it looks very much as if Bonnie Mary will continue to stink Taib-ape out until such time as there is a second deluge.