A FECKLESS FEMALE.

NZ Truth, Issue 141, 29 February 1908, Page 6

A FECKLESS FEMALE.

TfiE RESULT OF BEER.

The Woes of Mary Wilson.

i Mary Wilson, a lady who has seen better days, like the average landlady,, used to come up periodically be- 1 fore Wellington S.M, Court on a charge of beer paralysis; and appealed tearfully to a weary Bench for just 'one more chance to -pet away to tDunedin and turn over a new leaf. ['Mary has •■ an aged mother m the fScawtch city, . and.' worked the old! lady off on- a tender-hearted S»M. for all she was worth. The wretch - ed woman appeared .m a new role this., ! weekj .when she was branded a, .thief, although she attributes it all to the j'acciden't of excessive shicker. Mary engaged as a servant m the Wise of Mrs Begg, of ConstableI street, on December 23 last, and, one ' day she went out on a glorious razzle, thereby falling a victim \to ■the first policeman she met. The i lady o! the house had her sister, Mrs ! Olive, staying with- her, and shortly alter the visitor packed up her belongings and. went to her Auckland home. Here , she missed fcrom her trunks jewellery valued at £10, conrtained m a -silk, bag and placed m a hat box, also various articles of clothing, including nightgowns, combinations, drawers, and blouses. The discovery of her loss led' her to return to Wellington and communicate with the police.' Meantime, Mary had been convicted and discharged with a stern reproof, but instead of returniij|g to work, she swallowed more brain-deadening liquor- and found I herself again m the booby hatch. Seyen days' scrubbing Government property enabled her to get the beer [put of her system. The day of liber- | ationy however, saw Mary once more the victim, of • Bacchanalian excess, and this : time the Court treated her AS AN HABITUAL DRUNKARD by sending her up for a month. She was m custody when 'Tec. Kemp put same delicate questions to her, and Mary acknowledged that even at. that moment she was wearing combinasions and thing's given her by Mrs Olive. She denied all knowledge of the rings, however. Solicitor Cook, for the defence, called his client to. prove that she found the articles mentioned m her room, and wore them under the impression that they were placed there for . her use by Mrs Begg. (That lady acknowledged she had given the woman a hat.) "I went out and met with an accident by getting too much drink m me," explained the accused, with much feeling. She had no intention of stealing the rings, and she certainly hadn't lifted the jewellery. Riddel!, S.M., said there was no evidence to convict the woman • of stealing the rings, but she was responsible for the theft of the clothing. A fine of 4Qs was imposed, m default seven days*" imprisonment.