DISORDERLY HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 8

DISORDERLY HOUSE.

RAID ON SUNDAY MORNING.

WOMEN AND MEN IMPRISONED.

A sergeant and several constables broke.up a boisterous party in a house at No. 10, St. James Street, at 1 o'clock yesterday morning l>y' entering the house and arresting five men and three women. AH appeared before Mr.F. K; Hunt, S.M., at the Police Court this morning.

Oswald Grant, aged 40, a labourer, pleaded guilty to a charge of being idle and disorderly, in that he was the occupier of the house, frequented'by undesirable persons.

Detective-Sergeant - Kelly said -it was a house of ill-fame. They saw taxis call at all hours of the night with men, who left ; again s'emi-driink. Because of the noise the house had become a great nuisance to neighbours. "The woman Boyd, who has really been running the place, got sick of Grant and recently turned him out. In doing so she used, some disgusting, language; ■ Although disgusting, the language was most appropriate for this man in the occupation he; has been carrying out at the house." Grant was sentenced to "two months' imprisonment. Elsie Boyds aged 40, admitted a charge deeming her to be an idle and, disorderly person and the. occupier "of a house frequented by undesirables, ■ and further admitted using, obscene, language, and being a rogue and vagabond. For some time past," said DetectiveSergeant .Kelly, Boyd lad been keeping house of ill-fame,•: first in. Ladies' Mile Road, then in Ewington Avenue, and later in St. James. Street. She was alleged to have made a statement calculated to entice girls ' into immorality. At the three places she had occupied observations had been taken by the police, who found that taxis plied-a continuous trade to and from the houses all night. She was no stranger to the Court. Mr. Hunt sentenced her to six months' imprisonment.

Nellie Cook, aged 41, who admitted >eing an idle and disorderly person, was sent to gaol for two months. The police said she was one of the party, and a companion.of Boyd. Another well-dressed woman, Francis Norton, alias Gledhill," alias Clarke, pleaded guilty to a similar charge. It was, stated that she was usually associated with Boyd. She was sentenced to two months' imprisonment. . , Three visitors to Auckland for the week-end were each charged with being idle and disorderly persons, found in the house. ,

Mr. Biyce Hart, who appeared-for the three men, said he would formally plead not guilty, so that ah explanation could be advanced. "These men," he said, "are decent chaps and come from the country," said counsel. "They were lured into the house —"

Mr. Hunt: What! Lured! They are old enough to know better. Mr. Harfc said that Mrs. Norton had invited .them to the house. They had oaly been there half-an-hour when the police arrived. One man had £60 on him, another £30, and the other £11. "I have told them that they were lucky they got out with their money." The magistrate fined each £5.

Last to appear was Victor Henry Thomas, a labourer, aged 35, deemed to be a rogue and vagabond.

"This man is not over-fond "6i work, and brings men to this house in his spare time," said Detective-Sergeant Kelly. His previous convictions speak for themselves."

Mr. Hunt (after perusing Thomas' list): He's a nice man to be in a house where there are two or three men with sums of money In their pockets. Mr. Kelly: This man usually seems to be found wliere men are assaulted and robbed. A pick would make him sweat.

Thomas was sentenced to two months' imprisonment. That, said the magistrate, was four months' less than he deserved.