"HANGS ABOUT TOWN."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 150, 28 June 1927, Page 8

"HANGS ABOUT TOWN."

WOMAN AND HER COMPANIONS GIVEN' ANOTHER CHANCE. '"Will anyone of repute admit this woman into their own company!'' asked Mr. Dickson at the Police Court this morning. He was referring to his client, Catherine Nesbit (29), alias Billy McDonald, who pleaded not guilty to charges of "being an idle and disorderly person, and one who habitually consorted with reputed thieves. Constables Buckley, Butier and Wilson gave from their notebooks extracts, giving names of undesirable men and women in whose company they had seen Nesbit. Dates, times and places were also given. "This woman hangs round the town and has not done any work recently to my knowledge. She knocks about with persons of .ill repute," said Constable Buckley.

Accused gave evidence. Her husband, she said, came from England two years ago. Periodically he received money from England, having received a total of £2r>o since being in the Dominion. Her husband was keeping her. Accused admitted having been frequently in hotels, but she always drank by herself and never once got drunk. She did not know all the women mentioned by the police. Sub-Inspector Lewin: You say you come into town to drink. Why come into town when there are hotels in Ponsonby?—Yes, but they don't serve ladies in Ponsonby, except when you take it away.

Mr. McKean said that there was not sufficient evidence to convict accused on the first charge. She had an order on her husband's wages and was capable of looking after herself. However, on the other charge of consorting, the evidence given justified a conviction. As she had been fairly good during the last four years he would not send her to gaol. Nesbit was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within six months.