TWO WHITE GIRLS'DEPRAVITY

NZ Truth, Issue 1238, 22 August 1929, Page 5

TWO WHITE GIRLS' DEPRAVITY

Sordid Association With Orientals Ended When Police Intervened CONSTANT COMPANIONS OF CHINESE

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative).

"The girl Dawson is absolutely uncontrollable; her people will not have her at home and it is impossible for the Salvation Army to keep her. We had her for a time, but because of her moral character and the bad influence she possesses, we had to send her home. I dared her people to allow her to return to Auckland.

{{riHE has a strange influence over lJ other young girls. Apparently she only ( has to tell them to join her and they do as they are told. Something must be done to protect her from herself, and others from her." It is not often that Major Annie. Gordon, female probation officer at Auckland, speaks m such, terms of the girls and women who appear m the court, but such was the character she gave to a twenty- two-year-old girl, Nessie Dawson, who, with another girl, not quite of age, and whose name was suppressed, was. charged with being idle and disorderly. A particularly sordid story of. the girls' association with two Chi- ; hese was unfolded m evidence given by two police constables, and though, according to the statei ments of the accused, which were . : put m as evidence, they would appear to be utterly depraved and lost to a sense of shame, both girls wept bitterly m the dock.

It was . related by Constable Harrington that m company with Constable Taylor -h e : '■ visited a house at 48 Khyber Pass Road, about 11 a.m., and found Dawson and the other girl m the only room which was furnished. This was the rear room and contained a double bed, a dressTng-table and two chairs. The rest of the house, which was m the occupation of two Chinese, Willie Ong Hing and Jo Gun, was quite bare of furniture, with the exception of a few pans. The girls were eating out of a dish. The younger girl, at the police station, made and signed a statement m which she admitted that she had not worked for nine months, nor had she looked for work. ______________ She had no pros- — — — — — _ - — — — — pect of obtaining a position as domestic, which was her occupation.

She had been going out with Jo Gun for that period; m return I he had paid for her board and lodging. She visited the house at Khyber Pass almost daily. Her father lived ia Auckland, the statement continued, and if he knew of her behavior he would have stopped it. He had committed her to the Salvation Army Home for two, years when she w;as 13, put why she didj.ndt.know, though her mother had died just previous to her., committal. Shortly after her eighteenth birthday she gave .birth to a child, the father of which was a Dalmatian.** Up to a fortnight ago she had been living with Dawson at a house m Canada Street, Newton, but since then they had occupied a room at 41, Khyber Pass Road, ♦ almost opposite the house of the Chinese, y The constable, ci'oss- examined by Mr. J. F. W. Dickson, who appeared for both accused, said he had seen Dawson about Symonds Street on many occasions, both by day and night. Corroborative evidence was given by Constable Taylor, who stated that the girls said that they used the house by permission of the Chinese. He had seen various girls and Chinese, including the accused, enter No. 48, chiefly between 7 and 9.30 p.m., and leave again up to as late as 11.30. ] At the station, he took down a state- ] ment from Dawson, which she signed. In the course of this she said she had known Willie Ong Hing for twelve month's, having met him when he was bringing vegetables to the house where she was then m service. Since then she had done no work,

but had associated with Ong Hing, who maintained her at her lodgings. He also gave her what money, she wanted for herself. She visited his house almost daily, usually remaining for about a couple of hours. According to Dawson's statement, she, too, had been an inmate of the Salvation Army Home when 13 years of age, but did not know why she was ] committed. Her people lived at Featherston. I In cross-examination by Mr. Dickson, Constable Taylor said he thought Dawson only used her room at the boarding-house to sleep m. Although he was not speciallyVdetailed to watch the Chinese house, it was common knowledge that girls were going there. He did not think it necessary to make detailed notes of the dates he saw the accused going there. He admitted that the two Chinese were respectably dressed, and one of them rode a motor-bicycle. Addressing Mr.- F. K. Hunt, S.M., Mr. Dickson said »he knew the ethics of the case would not affect

the bench m its judgment at all, though there was a natural repugnance to white girls being associated with Orientals. He was Instructed to defend the girls by a prominent and fairly wealthy Chinese, who stated that his compatriots m the case were both respectable men, . . The girl 1 Dawson, continued Mr. Dickson, was engaged to Willie Ong Hing, and had been for a year. "It seems, from her own statement, that she has been anticipating her marriage," remarked Mr. Hunt. "I am afraid I must agree with your Worship," said counsel, who went on to say that there was no law against inter- marriage between the races, though whether it was right or wrong he would not express an opinion. The girls said it was difficult to obtain employment, which was why they accepted assistance. The constables, alleged Mr. Dickson, made much too sweeping assertions, i and he would call the landlady of the

"Well, they are both convicted," said Mr. Hunt. "Now, Major Gordon, what have you to say?" , Regarding the younger girl, the Major said she promised the girl's mother when dying to try to look after her and she thought something could be done for her, if she were given a chance. "Her health is m a very bad state, your Worship," said Major Gordon, "and if she is placed on probation, I would ask that she be ordered to spend at least twelve months m the Home. I would also ask that her name be suppressed. She was with us before as a child, but her father is very weak towards her and always gives m to her demands." "Very well," said the Magistrate, "she is placed on probation for two years, the first to 'be spent m the Home. Now, what about -Dawson?" At the close of Major Gordon's remarks on Dawson's character, Mr. Dickson stood up to question her as he said he objected to the statements being made. Mr. Hunt said that counsel was not

the Magistrate stated that the reason he had postponed giving sentence was because he was uncertain, as Dawson was over 21, whether he could send her to the Borstal or not. He now found that If Major Gordon gave evidence on oath he could do so. The Major went into the box and swore that she considered it would be m the best interests of Dawson if she went to the institution for two years. "She will be only 24 • when she comes out," added the probation officer. Counsel asked if Major Gordon knew that Dawson had been m steady employment for twelve -months prior to her year's association with Ong Hing, to which the Major agreed, but she stated that even if the employer were willing to take the girl back', she would and could not recommend that step. Some reference was then made by Mr. Dickson to the unfortunate episodes m the career of the girl's mother, but the Magistrate ruled that this was inadmissible. A testimonial as to the girl's character when working for her a year ago was then read by Mr. Dickson, which was given by a Mrs. Dawson. "But she has negatived this yearold reference by her behavior during the past twelve months," remarked Mr. Hunt. "Nevertheless,' retorted counsel, "she is still a first offender, and if any sin was committed, it was done by, the Chinese and not r-y her. ; . "Though . your Worship, may : frown on her /mode of living, she has never been before the court before, and she is therefore, a fit subject for the terms of the Probationers' Act. Apparently your Worship- has decided to accept Major Gordon's account," continued.Mr. Dickson. "The probation: officer has known this girl for a long time and considers a period m the Borstal will be the best thing for her. I therefore decide that she shall be confined there for two years," was Mr. \ Hunt's sentence. Costs of appeal were fixed at £10/10/-.

entitled to question, as the Major was not giving evidence, but merely making a report at the request of the Bench. Mr. Dickson's right to speak was gone. "I have my rights and I insist on them," said counsel. "And I have my rights and I know what they are," retorted . the- Magistrate. "Sit down, please, Mr. Dickson." "I insist on my right to speak," reiterated Mr. Dickson. "Very well, I'll remand Dawson for sentence till tomorrow, and if I think fit, you may say something then," was the Bench's final remark. When the case came on again the following morning,