AN UNHAPPY CASE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 22, Issue 277, 22 May 1873, Page 7

AN UNHAPPY CASE.

In Saturday's last issue of this journal, under the Police Court heading, appeared the following brief notice : — ! " Vagrancy. — Cecilia Gates was charged with having no lawfnl or visible means of support." The Bench remanded the case until Monday, in order that prisoner might be examined by medical gentlemen to ascertain the condition of her mind. The ordinary newspaper reader would skim over these three or four lines, when if he gave them a moment's thought, he would probably say, — " Another Chancery Lane girl in trouble, (rive her three months' gaol ; the wash-tub and bread and water." The story of Cecilia Gates, truly narrated, is perhaps as sad a romance of real life as ever was told in the most imaginative and sensational novel of the present day. Cecilia Grates, who stands remanded till thi^Jmoruing upon a charge of vagrancy, has not yet seen her twentieth year. Slim and elegant of figure, exceedingly well looking, and of prepossessing appearance, she landed in Auckland not very many weeks ago in the ship Durham. She was, it is stated, and we believe truly, engaged to be married to the brother of the captain in whose ship she arrived here a passenger. Her conduct and her demeanor on the voyage out were irreproachable. She was modest, unassuming, and always ready to lend her aid to the sick women raid children. On lauding from the ship pure and artless in her life, as when after bidding a last farewell she left her mother's home, she became acquainted with an officer of one of the ships in port, who urged her with many long and earnest entreaties to elope with him, and make for Sydney. The girl refused all importunities, and remained true to herself and her bethrothed. This tempter succeeded on one occasion in inducing her to partake of a quantity of strong spirits ; and the circumstance coming to the knowledge of him to whom she was shortly to have been married, he refused any longer to acknowledge her. The girl had still preserved her selfrespect, and all that is held sacred to virtue; but thoroughly disheartened she became reckless. She joined in. company with a number of her shipmates, with whom she flashed through the streets of the city in cabs — one day following another for many days. Out late at night, sleeping long into the day, and leading a life which no woman can lead without damage to her character and reputation. Previous to her being taken into custody, the unhappy girl, who was tenderly reared and well schooled, was seen by one of our well-known medical practitioners — a man gentle and kind of heart, as he is upright and just, skilful, and of wide-world experience. The girl at this time was sitting in a boarding-house, witL her outer and underclothes satured to the skin. She was hectic, shivering, and her appearance that of one suffering intense mental agony. And so from pity to the poor, wretched, miserable — and it ia thought, not quite fallen— girl, she was handed to the police. She was charged with vagrancy, and remanded until Monday morning. The tale i.«, it is feared, " o'er true," and we can but sincerely trust that some truehearted matron — some mother who can realize the horror of a daughter on the verge of moral ruin — will come forward and step between Cecilia Grates and the bitter end that threatens her at the present time. We may add that the girl's box, containing her clothing and all she possessed, lias been impounded at the house at which she had been stopping, for money due for her board. On landing in Auckland, besides a complete outfit, s'.e had £50 in money. The unfortunate girl Cot-ilia Crates was brought up at the Police Court ou Monday morning. She had he^a «-£- amined by Dr. Philson vr'"io „tv nounced her as bcin^ of so an ; . utm Serge.w t-Major Partly &*kiu >:; Worship V.y disi'hppgf h"r as -iior,. ladies kindly int-r tu;-ri--.- ; \c3 -^ her case and promised to tnk<v coarse of her.—" Auckland Herald," j&WS.