A NOTORIOUS CHARACTER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 331, 18 February 1874, Page 3

A NOTORIOUS CHARACTER.

Elizabeth Powell, the woman who recently enticed a young girl to leave her situation and go and live with her, for no other object than that of prostituting her, and who was brought \ip before two of the Great Unpaid, on a charge of abduction, and, to the horror of every right-thinking individual, discharged, was, again brought up at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Dunedin, but this time before Mr. Strode. She was charged, under the Vagrant Act, with having no lawful means of support. She appeared in Court attired in bran now clothes, and pleaded, in a pompous manner, "Not Guilty." John Williams lived within a few yards of her house, and frequently saw her taking in drunken men, whom she had dogged. Her conduct was of the worst description, and she was constantly iv company with drunken women, who went to her house. Sergeant O'Neil had known her since 1865, when she lived in a Walker-street brothel, and subsequently in a low neighborhood at the rear of Bristol House, Cumber-land-street. In 1869, he escorted her to gaol from Oamaru, where she had been convicted for larceny. She had been living the life of a prostitute for a considerable time past. Constable Rooney know her to be one of the most dangerous of her class. Prowling the streets at midnight she solicited prostitution, and pounced upon drunken men. Detective Shury had had occasion to watch her house lately through the brawls which occurred there nightly, and knew her to be a most offensive woman. Mrs. M'Donald had witnessed disgraceful proceedings at accused's house, and said it caused much annoyance to respectable people. Prisoner tried to entice nearly every young girl that went past her door for evil purposes. Mr. Strode : Well, now, Eli>«v"»©t'k Powell/ you are with no lawful means ot support, and I have to call upon you in terms of the Act to give me an account of your means of support to my satisfaction. Prisoner : A man named Paterson, employed on the Golden Age, keeps me, and pays my rent. Mrs. Mason can prove it. Mr. Strode (evidently amazed) : What ! is Mrs. Mason with you — the notorious Mrs. Mason ? Prisoner : Not that Mrs. Mason. (To a constable : Show the Magistrate my receipts.) A large-sized purse was handed to. His Worship, who opened it and pulled out a number of papers tightly folded together. Separating one, a certificate of birth ; another, a pawn ticket ; a third, a receipt for oneweek's rent paid by Paterson. His Worship : These prove nothing. Well, Elizabeth Powell, from the evidence before me, I have no doubt — and I do not think any one who has heard the evidence can have any possible doubt — that you are one of the worst and most dangerous of vagrants, who, until you reform, shoul J not be at large. You were charged, a short time since, you may remember, with abduction — with inducing a little girl to enter your house for immoral purposes. Yon don't seem to be contented with little girls, but you ask women who are passing to come into tea, make them drunk, and ■ we all know what occurs. — (Accused began to feign penitence, and sobbed.) His Worship : Yes, you ask them in to tea, and after making them drunk, men come in and prostitute them ; that is. what you do lo your friends. You are a horrid, abominable character — for one so young, a dreadful character. Four years ago, apparently, you were convicted of larceny ; what do you think your end will be? Such a woman as you should be locked up until you reform, to keep you from committing further mischief. I shall mark my sense of your conduct by sending you, to the common gaol for three months, with hard labor.