POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 53, 2 March 1916, Page 6

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr F. V. Frazcr, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Four first offender -were fined 5/ each. Yet another fire, offender, 88 years of age, who ha<f been found lying in Albert Street about li o'clock last night, and was amder the impre__rian that he was at North Shore, said this was the first time in his life he had been in a. police court; he was convicted and discharged. Thomas Lawler (31) was fined 10/. William I_ e (45), a soldier on final leave who had been twee found drunk recently despite the fact thai ho was prohibited, was remanded until Saturday, the kiat day of his leave. Wm. Nay lor (68), for committing a nuisance in the street when he was drunk, was fined £2, or fourteen days'. POPULAR WITH SOLDIERS. George Page (50) was chaiged that ho kept a house of ill-fame in Victoria Street West, and Baribara, Graigio (47) and J_tay Page (.9) were charged that they assisted in the management of the house. Evidence -was given by Constables Robinson and Allen that the boose was regularly visited by strange men at | Slight, and that the women made a habit of nightly scouring the streets in the neighbourhood of the house, inrpor- | tuning men, twine of whom afterwards visited the house. Last Saturday. nigStt ,he saw Barbara. Craigie, sister of Mrs 1 Page, conduct sax soldiers in uniform to the house between 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock, and eight other men between 10 o'clock and II o'clock. Page was a wbnrf labourer, and in February bad earned between £8 and £9 by -work on the wiharf. He had 'been warned over six months ago by the police, and ilms Pago had been warned a fortnight ago.

Page stot-xl that he was unaware of any immorality in the honse. He wns frequently away at night at work, and |at times lie had had one or two friends m for a drink, but so fax as he knew there was nothing wrong about the house. A long time ago he had been cautioned to get his wife's Bister away from tho place, and she had been away for a long time, but had just recently oome back to do the washing for Mrs I'Page, who was not well.

Barbara Craigie stated that ihere had been only four "khaki blokes" in the houee, and they had done nothing more than have a glass 'With her, She had never played any "dirty tricks" in her sister's house, she declared, and the house wss perfectly well conducted. She went out every night to meet a "quiet business man," who could support her word, but she could not bring him to the court in a case of this kind. Mre Page flatly denied any knowledge •whatever of immorality in the house, cither on her own part ot by her sister.-Sub-Inspector Mcllveney (pointed out that as Mm Page was the wife of Rige it was questionable if she could give evidence affecting her husband. His Worship remarked that she could give evidence on her own behalf, but oonld not give evidence that might be i_ed against her husband. HiiH Worship decided to convict all three, and remarked that it was evident the proceeds of the illicit traffic -went in the (purchase of liquor. Still, Sage worked and earned a living, and perS_ar_ didn't instigate the behaviour for profit. He ■Warald be sentenced to one month's hard labour. Mire Page would also be sentenced to one month's imprisonmentHis WoTH_rip considered Barba.ra Craigie the moving spirit in the matter, and she would J?c sentenced to three months' hard lahour. MISCELLANEOUS. "jas. Stewart Richardson, for entering an hotel and obtaining liquor when prohibited, had to pay 7/ costs, the fact that he had kept his order for nine months being counted for merit on lus part.