A RAID BY DETECTIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 14 January 1913, Page 8

A RAID BY DETECTIVES.

ON SOFT DRINKS SHOPS

CONTINENTAL WOMEN ARRESTED.

Of late in Auckland an unenviable notoriety has been attached to a type of small soft drinks shops kept by women popularly described as French women (reports the Star). In consequence a raid was made on Friday evening by detectives on several soft drinks shops in Symonds Street and Hobson Street. At two shops in feymoncte Street they arrested Henry Doville (14), John Dubois (54), Mane Clarisse (23), and Julia Martins (32), all of whom are of Belgian nationality. Later three similar shops in Hobson Street were visited, and Violette Barron (25), Lucy Therese Dupont (32), and Marguerite Dennis (25, all of whom acknowledged Franco as their country of origin, were taken into custody'. Still later a visit was made to a house in Bourne Street, Mt. Eiden, where an Italian named Ludovic Dallagiovannia, aged 43, was arrested. The whole party came before the Police Court on Saturday morning, charged with being idle and disorderly persons without sufficient lawful visible means of support, and were remanded in a body till F riday next, when further charges relating to the keeping of undesirable houses will be laid. The allegation of the police is that the accused, were engaged in an illegal business on a systematic and organised basis, the women being answerable to certain men for the payment of a percentage of the profits. Mr Singer appeared for the accused men Dallagiovannia, Deville and Dubois and the women Barron and Dupont, while Mr Hackett represented the women Dennis, Clarisse, and Marthas.

Concerning Ludovic Dallagiovannia-, Mr Singer protested against the arrest of a man of money in his own house late at night. He was, counsel said, a man who had just lately come to the country for the purpose of going into business, and could sign his name to a cheque for any amount. It was driving capital and a desirable person from the country to treat a man who could write hie name for any amount like that.

The Chief Detective: Mr Singer holds that money means respectability. Continuing, Mr Singer said that Dallagiovannia had no more connection with these women than had dozens of New Zealanders. Though he was a foreigner, he was American by adoption and naturalisation. Americans might not be equal to New Zealanders in respectability, but still there were some very docent fellows among them.

“It all depends on what they do',” commented Mr Cutten, S.M. When the Court had settled down to the work of fixing bail, Mr Singer remarked it could be made £IOOO so far as Dallagiovannia was concerned. The magistrate, however, was satisfied to require accused to enter into a bond of £SO and find a surety of £SO. Deville had £l6 on him when he was arrested, and this was impounded, and lie was required to find a surety of £SO. From Dubois were, asked a bond of £ls and a surety of £25. Marie Clarissc had to leave in the hands of the police a bank book showing £25 savings. Julia Martins a similar guarantee for £ls, and Marguerite Dennis a book showing a credit at the bank of £IOO. A iolet Barron had Jo enter into a bond of £oo, and find 51 surety for a further £SO, while Lucy Dupont entered into her own bond for £25. In the instances where the bail was low, the accused were required to report periodically to the police.