REDSKIN REVELS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 9 February 1917, Page 2

REDSKIN REVELS.

EIVALS WHO ARRANGE FIGHTS AT DANCES. LOVERS WON BY BLOWS. The terrible depravity -of our female apaches—the women who follow the "Redskins" and other gangs—was brought under the limelight in the Sheriff Court at Glasgow. But lurid as the disclosures were, and disgraceful as were the orgies mentioned, thoso revelations did not portray the utter degradation which some of these women have reached in their mad craving for excitement. I have managednever mind how-to gather many particulars of the lives lived by these women, as well as the habits of the ruffians whose smile they seek to win, and for whom they will fight at any time with something akin to the tigercat's ferocity. Let me then life the veil a little further In the first place it may be mentioned that the duels spoken of in court are all mostly arranged in he lower-class whisky saloons where the women meet and discuss their success at the dance, their partners, and their rivals At such dances the young girl who can do the latest step dance, sing the most popular ditty, and hold her own over all other rivals, comes in loathe most attention from the male members of the gang. But the price o S uch a popularity is often high. It means erstwhile favourites being outclassed, and, as jealousy is one <n the fiercest passions of those females, and is always given full rein, the idol ot the moment has to fight and fight < again if she desires to retain her pros-

tige. It almost goes without saying that the females who take part in these ovg.es arc unmarried, the majority of I hem being hi their toon,. But it is uiiJcr-t-innteiy the cr.se that many marnod women, whose husbands are gaikmdy 'fio-iMi-M- at the front, also follow yis '"sport*" as it is called. It seems almost unthinkable that rbese women can be so callous as to leave their little ones to attend such dances, besides doing a round or two of the drinking saloons during the day. But one must remember that the claims of motherhood have been thrown to the winds by such unsexed creatures. To save themselves, however, from the officers of the S.P.C.C., the married women usually pay some old woman from one of the models or ticketed houses to come in and sit with the little ones. They give her a drink and a few coppers and she has her bed free. When a woman feels that her "honour" (save the mark) has been insulted by some rivals, she usually calls together a number of comrades The meeting is held in a public-house, and, :"over their cups," they discuss the form of punishment to follow, supposing a chance of fighting it out is not given to the offender. But when a duel is decided on more elaborate methods are necessary. The rival is acquainted of the fact; a place is named and the hour, and tli? male members of the gang are whipped up, for they never fail to patronise such '' sport.'' Sometimes the rivals strip to the waist. They usually begin fairly enough, and to sec those women use their fists would amaze many a professional. It is always a fight to the finish, and the fight ends only when one of the combatants falls bleeding and half unconscious to the ground and the male members step in and stop the "sport." "The dance of death," for it is nothing else, goes on continually in these night hells. I was told, and from what I have learned elsewhere, I am inclined to believe, that the women an) really worse than the men . They arc the cause of many fights between the rival gangs. Eesidents in some districts hold that the "dancing hells" have a great deal to do with the mischief. As one remarked: "It's in such places that hell's broth is brewed, and it is time the magistrate closed them." -Will the magistrates act?