A PITIABLE CASE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 659, 11 October 1933, Page 6

A PITIABLE CASE

CLD WOMAM'S REPUTATION TOO bad FOR a PENSION IMPRISONED FOR BEGGING Christchurch, Saturday. A 72-year-old woman, with whom fche Salvation Army will not have anything to do because of her habits, was to-day sent to gaol for three months, with hard labour, by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., for being idle and disorderly, in that she had no lawful visible means of support. She was Margaret Isles, alias Thomas, of Moorhouse Avenue. - -"How do you plead?" asked the clerk. Accused: Well, I don't know how I plead, buf if a man or a woman goes for a couple of honest hours — . The Magistrate: All right. Not guilty. Constable J. H. Quartley said that at 12.30 yesterday afternoon, in re-r-ponse to an anonymous telephone call, he went to Mersey Street and people complaiped that accused had been begging. He saw her come out of one house and go into another, and she admitted that she had got 3s from one place. Witness understood that she was not getting a pension. The Magistrate: She can't get it on account of her reputation. . . . A woman of 72 years. Good gracious me! Sub-Irispector G. B. Edwards: The action taken by the police is really in the interests of the old woman herself. The Magistrate (to accused) : Do you want to give evidence on your own behalf? — It's no use giving evidence when everybody is agin you. Admittedly Thirsty The Magistrate: You drink a fair bit. — Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I can't get it. The Magistrate: The times when you do are long and the times when you. don't are short. Accused said she had been refused a pension. The Magistrate: You're supposed to be of sober habits and reputable character; that's why I refused you. — That's right. There's plenty of them that gets the pension and drinks. Sub-Inspector Edwards said that the woman had been with the S'alvation Army, but it was one of those cases of which the authorities could make nothing. They simply would not have her back. The Magistrate: Hopeless, hopeless. Accused said she had been earning money by cleaning and polishing. The Magistrate: Can you polish doorknobs? — Do what? Polish knobs of doors. Accused: Oh, no. They wouldn't give me that — that's too hard. The Magistrate: Can you do gardening? — That's worse; that's men's work. j The Magistrate : If I send you out to Addington witliout stipulating hard labour, you won't be fed so well. — Oh, well. The Magistrate : Three months' imprisonment, with hard labour.