A DUNEDIN DEN OF INFAMY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2553, 27 May 1881, Page 2

A DUNEDIN DEN OF INFAMY.

We take the following from Thursday’s “ Otago Daily Times”:—A rare hotbed pf vice and infamy were unearthed by the police in Stafford street on Monday night, and those connected with it were brought before the Police Bench yesterday. The evidence was to the effect that about a week ago a coloured man named Samuel Charles Armstrong and a German named Marcus Snuzmears rented a house in Stafford street under the representation that they wanted to use it as a bachelors’ home. It was let to them for this purpose, but the landlord, finding that it was appropriated to other purposes, informed the police, who, acting on the information received, visited it on the night of the 23rd inst. It was found difficult tq gain admittance, the sound of their knocking being drowned by the din inside. Sergeant Bevin described the persons in the room as the worst collection of rogues and vaga bonds ho ever saw at one lime in one house. The room in which they were assembled was about 14 feet square, and in it about 20 men and women were dancing, singing, swearing and fighting. There was a room adjoining, in which there were glasses and bottlescontaining beer. The women were of lowest class. He had heard since visiting the house that the defendants charged 2s a head for admittance. On the night of the' 24th the house was visited again, when it was found that a fight had taken place. The accused Shuzmears had his head cut, the women had their hair loose, and the floor was covered with blood. Armstrong stated in Court that he was a violinist, and not the occupier of the house, while Schumears said that he had resorted to keeping the establish ment as a means of getting a living, because he was unable to get work. The Bench sentenced each of the prisoners to three months’ imprisonment with hard labor.