KEEPING A BROTHEL.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 304, 22 December 1921, Page 8

KEEPING A BROTHEL.

TWO WOMEN AND A KAN. THREE MONTHS IN PRISON. In the Police Court this morning, before 'Mr. J. W. Poynton, SJM-, Margaret Allen, a married woman, was accused of keeping a brothel at 59 Belgium Street, , and pleaded guilty. Susan Tobin (29), and William Henry Reed (39), were charged with assisting in its management, and they denied that they had done so. The evidence given against the three accused was singularly detailed police constables relating what they had seen and heard at the house during a surveillance that had lasted for several days and nights. Several police witnesses narrated their experiences at the place, telling how men constantly went in, and there was drinking, singing, and card playing till far past midnight. They also told of bedroom scenes in the house. Facts were given that tended to show Reed to be running the place with Tobin and Allen, the latter woman being the occupier of the premises. It was said that Allen had leased the house and her husband had gone away. She was letting rooms and flats. Lately she had taken to drink and had fallen in with bad companions. It was stated that a few months ago the house, now known as a brothel, was perfectly respectable. When the police raided the house last night they found there two girls, aged respectively 15 and 14 years. These two youngsters were taken away and put in the Door of Hope home. Reed absolutely denied that the was assisting to manage the house as a brothel. He was merely a tenant. He came to Auckland about a fortnight ago, he said, with £17 in cash and £20 in the bank. He began drinking fairly heavily and had since spent all his money. Tobin also said she was a tenant, and absolutely denied the allegation that she was helping to run a brothel. "The facts show that the case is a very bad one," said His Worship. ' The polke evidence shows the large number of men coming to the house, their singing, and drinking and .bad language. The worst feature of all is the presence of the two little girls in such surroundings. I can see no mitigating circumstances at all. Tne three accused were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment.