IMMORALITY ALLEGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 March 1943, Page 3

IMMORALITY ALLEGED

SEVEN WOMEN CHARGED. SEQUEL TO POLICE RAID. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A raid by Wellington’s anti-vice squad on the Balmoral Private Hotel, 99 Courtenay Place, shortly after 10 o’clock on Saturday night resulted in the appearance of seven women on charges relating to its use as a house of ill-fame. Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., was on the bench. Phoebe Manawatu, a housemaid, aged 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of having assisted in the management of a house of ill-fame. SeniorSergeant Paine said that Manawatu had first gone to the hotel as a boarder in December, but had later become a housemaid at a wage of £1 Ils 6d a week. It had been part of her duty, to book in servicemen with girls. On several occasions they had been booked in till 11 p.m. in the rooms of regular boarders. The charge had been 10s a night for sailors and £1 for other servicemen. Accused was sent to gaol foi\ two months. Sarah Anne Vapgioni, the hotel proprietress, aged 64, charged with having permitted the use of the premises as a house of ill-fame, pleaded not guilty. A remand till Thursday was asked for and granted. The charge against an office assistant, aged 19, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of being found-in a house of ill-fame for the purpose of prostitution, was dismissed. Adjournments till Thursday were granted in the case of two women aged 19 and 25, on the application of counsel. Edna Pennington, a shop assistant,' aged 25, pleaded not guilty to a charge of being in a house of ill-fame for purposes of prostitution. Sergeant Callaghan said that this defendant had been found seated on a bed with a sailor. She said her husband was in the Air Force at a local air station; she had met the sailor accidentally when she returned from seeing her husband and had only gone to the room with him so that he could get some cigarettes. Sergeant Callaghan said she had given a false name, that of her sister who worked at the Public Hospital and was friendly with the serviceman who was the real occupant of the room in which she had been found. Mr Stilwell pointed out that she had admitted lying to the police. In those circumstances he found it impossible to believe her story .in Court and would convict. She was stood down for sentence. When accused came up for sentence, Mr G. C. Kent said that since the hearing of her case, he had been instructed by defendant’s husband and by defendant herself to appear on her behalf. Mr Kent said he did not think there was any procedureJo permit him making application for a rehearing, but there was evidence to be given by the husband that he knew the man with whom she was found and that he trusted him and her. He asked that the penalty be made such that an appeal against the conviction could be made. Mr Stilwell said he did consider it a < venial offence and intended to deal with it by way of a small fine. It was a difficult position when a woman openly admitted having lied to the police two or three times and_ then expected her story to be believed. “I will convict and impose a fine of £5 Is in order to allow you to carry the matter further fif you wish,” Mr Stilwell said. Shirley Daphne .Rule, a milliner, aged 17, pleaded guilty to being idle and disorderly in that she had insufficient means of support. Sergeant Paine said her board at the hotel for the past two weeks had been paid by a marine. She was remanded for sentence.