HER DAY OUT

NZ Truth, Issue 1190, 20 September 1928, Page 7

HER DAY OUT

Cecilia Loved Those Open Spaces : (From "N.Z. Truth's" Christchurch . Rep.) "Does the warder know you're out, Cecilia?" asked Constable Connell of Margaret Cecilia Hansbury whom he espied basking m the morning sunshine one day last week m Sydenham. pECILIA was the principal m a one-. act comedy staged jn : the' Folio* Court at. Christchurch the previous week, when, together with three men' with whom she had been found drinking m a vacant house m St. . Aaaph Street, she was given twelve months* imprisonment for being an inoorrigiblr rogue and a vagabond; / -\ Cecilia had only been out for a fortnight after serving six months for asimilar offence, and the prospects of another twelve months upset her. ; So' she took advantage of the trust placed m her on Monday morning of; last week, and while mowing the lawn m front of the Addington "Women's? Reformatory, she skipped over the', fence and hit the trail for the wide; open spaces^ ' Her /freedom, however;^ was short-lived. , ". '"'. ■-.:■• - ■'.■••■•. • ; •■"•■■■Wi 1 ■■•■• ;. ' v.'->,vf.'-* : --';,:-';-i^?i There is ho better known *frgUTe:vt to the Christchurch police than '% Cecilia, and she quickly fell into.;';; the receptive arms of Constable :v Connell, of .Sydenham, who restored X her to the prison authorities. ■'-. Compared* with some years ago, tlie freedom now extended to prisoner^ 1 under the on-your-honor system Ik usually appreciated. '[$_. If the trust is violated, it tends t& disrupt discipline \amongr- the others prisoners, and oh.thia aqcount MagislK trate Mosley took a. 'setiQp.^ Cecilia's attempt to escape-from-cus-tody; before the termination- of her.: sentence. . But Cecilia Is,, voluble, If anything and she wIU tiave her Bay. Dressed m the prison garb of light blue skirt and dark blue flannel blous^ Cecilia plaintively, .told, the S.M. th#|i on the day of her Escape — though shiifj did not: intend-- it 'to .b^ -regarded as a$ escape-rr-she w;as not feeling j£ The "drink "she had had during h«fc hectic fortnight out of gaol was having some effect on her, and she had been worried about her luggage,, which was, all over the place. . ;'..:'*'■ ;)■$ She Went out oh th(i spur of the |' moment, not with the intention of, -.v; staying away, but with returning ? so soon as she. had her domeatlo ;£. affairs In" proper order. . .. She did not. things It was a^ serious" breach. > ' '•' ■!; . S.M.: But you know that you must, be punished. You are usually a rood' prisoner. I . have seen you there' several times myself. ..'.".- ■ Cecilia (m reminiscent vein) : Y.es, sir, If you remember about fifteen years ago, I was all right when I worked for you m Dunedln. .: S.M. : I don't really remember you,, but it would make no difference if you did. What Is more, X think it quitepossible that you didn't. You know you have to be punished? -" Cecilia: I think I am well punished,; ain't I, with twelve months? : Before Cecilia had any further 6-p-i portunity of adding to her tale of W08,; Magistrate Mosley added.a further tw« [»io4itto-ta-fe«r.*ent«aov' -■"■ j^-"^v v . Ti •