AN OTAKI CASE.

Otaki Mail, 6 November 1922, Page 2

AN OTAKI CASE.

CHINAMAN ROBBED. A few days ago Alice Kemp was introduced to a couple of Justices of tho Peace at Palmerston North by Detec-tive-Sergeant Quirke, the introduction being adjudged necessary for the clearing up of a little matter as to the loss of £4l 17s 6d in cash and notes and £2j worth of cheques by one .Tim Tow, f rtfm his laundry establishment at Otaki, about race time. Jim Tow told of a happy week-end which followed after Alice had called and asked for a room for the race week-end. Warmly was she welcomed and she stayed from the Friday till ti u , Monday. On Saturday he. as host. l 1:l <! added to his hospitality by handing her a couple of pounds to win or lose upon racehorses and later in the day he bough: something in the way of brooches. The open house was hers till llouday. when- she went out io the races again, coming home to Jim's place late iii the evening. Jim himself he said, was out visiting till something like o a.m. next day, but when lie did get home he cached his note- and cheques under the mattress. He did not sec the daylight till eleven by the clock, and by that time the fair Alice had disappeared, so had the cash and ' the papers worth cash when tendered I to the proper persons, The tale told by Kemp when arrested in at Palmerston quite a few clays later was that she had had no idea of board and lodging when she called on laundry business, but. had been asked inside and went, and then the whisky bottle was trotted forth. She admitted quite freely that, she had taken (lie goods and put it down to sudden fernration, Then away she hied herself, to Mauakau, and later had a lift by car to Levin, going on to Wellington the next day and from there dowu to Christckurch, but later returned. She was on her way to Auckland when the police stopped her on the Palmerston N. railway station and took her to the police station. Most of the money and all the cheques were found among her luggage in spite- of the lime and the miles gone past since she had called at On Monday morning, Kemp, who, in her gay career, ha.- used a number of names, including Alice *Dean and Kita Martin, went in from Point Halewell, when! .-he hail been in the women's prison, and faced Mr Justice Heed for sentence. Lawyer Hannah, acting under instructions put in a few words lot' accused. In regard to a suggestion for probation, the Judge was sternly decisive. "I don't think," he said, "that in the woman's own interest she should be given probation." Lawyer Hannah -uggc.-t. d, howver, that hi.- Honor take into consideration the fact that she was kept ut tka Chinaman's place in a drunken condition and that she had succumbed to the temptation to steal the money after tin- drinking. His Honor mentioned that aecu.-t'l had been convicted in Auckland of assault, in Lyttelton of drunken and <ihr orderly conduct, in Auckland again of theft, and in Palmerston of drunkenness. "The police report," he added, "is that you were leading the life of a common prostitute. "You are only "_'! years of age," continued his Honor, "and I am afraid you have started to go downhill very rapidly. The best thing in your own interest is a term of reformative detention." His Honor then mentioned that X2 months of this would be Kemp's portion. Some mention was then made of £lO that had gone astray, and which, it was presumed, belonged to the Chow. "I am not a bit inclined to help thfl Chinaman to get his money back," Baid his Honor. "He should cot have git hold of this woman at all." Accordingly it waa decided that all identifiable- money only, such as bo returned to the Chinaman. 1.-WJmM|I«—WII— II Mi i_mi I Wl