POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3167, 13 September 1880, Page 2

POLICE COURT.—THIS DAY.

(Before E. C. Barstow, Eeq., K.M.) A ROW IS THE POLICE CELL. Grace Kent and Mary Ana Carroll were charged, under the Vagrant Act, with" t having no visible lawful means of a livelihood, and with damaging a blanket, value, | 7s, the property of the New Zealand Go*, vernment. Lucy Armstrong was charged with having no visible lawful means, &c. - The girls severally pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector Pardy said the girls were? all of bad character, and two of them, Kent and Carroll, were old hands on the' streets. The girl Armstrong, a mere child, had been drawn into an infamous line of conduct by Carroll and Kent, to the intense grief of her mother, who was a decent hard--, workiug woman. The girls were a perfect pest iv the neighbourhood of the Theatre. • The girl Kent had a relative desirous of. sheltering her from the streets, but owing,. to her wild conduct round it impossible. * Her sister was still anxious to do all she could to reform her, if His Worship thought fit to give her another chanoe. Kent was 17, Armstrong 13, and Carroll, whose case seemed hopeless, about 14.^; ' vf? His Worship said he regretted to observe . that the girl Armstrong was laughing, and apparently regarding the matter as a good, : joke. He was sorry to see it. . . Detective Jeffery, Constables Strathem ; and Jones gave evidence as to the general/ bad conduct of the girls. With respect to the blankets the facts were simple: The girls wanted blankets which were supplied by the police, but which caused a quarrel and a fight between Kent and Carroll to the ruin of the blanket, value 7 shillings. >.? : Kent pleaded guilty to damaging the blanket. His Worship spoke kindly to the girls on the sad course of life they were puttu»' ing, and which sooner or later would have • a melancholy close,- perhaps death on a door.step. He would advise thenvto alter! their course before it was too late. ? . There were plenty of servants wanting; ' in fact, the demand was gieater than the supply. He must find them guilty, but was not desirous of seeing Kent and Armstrong sent to prison, as their friends wero ready to receive and do their best for them. The convictions would be recorded against them, but if they were brought again under the same Act they would each get a year's imprisonment in / Mount Eden tjaol. The girl Carroll was in a different position. She had been m> prison before, and it appeared that her parents rather encouraged her in her evil ■.; habits than otherwise. She would therefore receive three months' imprisonment witn hard labour. DESERTKKS. Edward Nunnand EdwardHemmett were charged with being deserters from H.M. ship Dana). On the application of Sub-Inspector Pardy, prisoners were remanded until the1 23rd inst. This was all the business.