"WORST DEN IN CITY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16376, 2 November 1916, Page 7

"WORST DEN IN CITY."

SEQUEL TO POLICE RAID.

EIGHTEEN PERSONS APPEAR.

BAD CHARACTERS PUNISHED

SOME SUBSTANTIAL SENTENCES.

Following 'on the raid made upon the Federal Boardinghouse, Federal Street, on Tuesday night two women and sixteen men appeared in the Police Court yesterday before Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., on various charges under the war regulations.

Purvis Graham, a man 63 years of age, was charged with keeping a house of illfame, also " that being a person over the age of 15 years he lived on the earnings of immoral women."

In outlining the case for the police SubInspector Mcllveney stated that the house had been under observation by specially

.detailed police and sectional sergeants for some time. One sergeant described it as " the worst den he had seen in Auckland since joining the police 'soma years ago." The place was so dirty that the attention of the Health Department had been directed to it. Graham had been living in and keeping the placa*for some time past. Jhe sub-inspector asked for a substantial penalty. Constable J. Potter, giving evidence regarding the raid, said the place was filthy and the beds nM> fit to sleep in. Several soldiers were a the house earlier in the day, and on previous occasions witness had seen soldiers in the house. Constable Clifford corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and also stated that there had been complaints of people being robbed in the house. On one occasion, said the witness, he saw five Maori soldiers leave the place when they saw the police arrive and' return after the police had gone. Witness also deposed to the filthy condition of the house and to the immorality which took place there. Graham said he knew nothing ot what was going on in the house The Magistrate: Who is the landlord? Accused : John Henry Hannan. The Magistrate : Who collected the rent? Accused : He did. The Magistrate : When did he collect it last? The Accused : Last Monday morning. The accused added that lie had paid the landlord £11 15s, as the landlord said . would cost £40 to do the house up. The Magistrate : What! You paid £11 15s. No lease? Accused : No. just a weekly tenancy. The Magistrate : Well you ara a " mug. Sentenced to Imprisonment. His Worship said the evidence showed the place to be a disorderly house of the worst type, and an additional evil was that it was used for decoying Maori soldiers. As the house was shown to be a meeting place for thieves and others of bad character, as well as a. disorderly house, It was not a case for " kid glove treatment." The War Regulations must be strictly enforced. Accused would be sentenced to 12 months' hard labour on the first charge, and convicted and discharged upon the other. Agnes Bathurst admitted residing in a house of ill-fame. Sub-Inspector Mcfiveney stated that the woman had previously held a good social position, but she had fallen into an immoral life, and was now about as low in the social scale as she could get. Accused was sent ced to six months' hard labour. With respect to Margaret Lange, who pleaded guilty to residing in and assisting in the management of the house, the subinspector described her as the worst and dirtiest of women." Accused was sentenced to nine months' hard labour, and the magistrate said he would endorse the warrant to the effect that the woman was to be further detained until cured of a disease she was suggested to be suffering from. . Not Wanted in Camp. Michael Edward Leahy, who appeared in uniform, pleaded guilty to being in the house, and not guilty to a charge of deserting from the Expeditionary Force. The sub-inspector said he was found in a bedroom with one of the women. Accused had given more trouble to the police than any other soldier. He vas a member of the force at Narrow Neck, and had broken camp. If the magistrate decided to _ convict the man, the subinspector said the military authorities would not require him back. Accused said he had a bad arm, and had been in the house five days. He was sentenced to one month's hard labour, and ordered to be detained for a further period should he show signs of having contracted disease. On the desertion charge he was remanded for a week. Holidays in Gaol.

George Cowan, another " resident." was also charged with vagrancy. Police evidence was to the effect that accused' was a man of low type, and owing to his crinii-' nal tendencies was a menace to the district. He had also a bad record. As it was suggested by the police that He would be better out of town until after the holidays, he was sentenced to six months' hard labour.

Edward John Sheppard, who, said he .onlv went to the house to sleep, but was said to have a long list of previous convictions, was sentenced to one month's hard labour for residing in the house. A similar sentence was' imposed upon William Donnelly, described by the police as a " drunken thief."

Samuol Blair, who ma-de his 44th appea ranee, and whose " list" included convictions for theft, assault, and other offences, was also sentenced to one month's hard labour for residing in the house. Innocent Lodgers. The charge, against James Murphy of residing in the house was withdrawn, it being shown that ho had merely paid for ' his board for one night and afternoon, but, instead of stopping there, had spent the night in the watehhou.«e. A similar procedure " was adopted in the case of Patrick O'Keane, who was said to be only a "victim of circumstances."

Ferdinand Butler, on a charge of residing in the house, was convicted and discharged, and a similar charge against John Dorrock was dismissed, accused being cautioned to be careful in securing lodgings in future. Thomas Ross and William Scott were dealt with in the same way. John Russell, charged with residing in the house, who said he had work to do in the vicinity, and was only living there for convenience, was warned to be more care-

ful in future, and the charge was dismissed. John Reed was similarly dealt with.

David Reginald Rice admitted knowing the character of the house, but said he had remained there because ho used to stay there when it was more respectable. He

was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon.

The police described John Curran as a " counter-lunch cadger " and loafer. On a charge of vagrancy he was ordered to be detained at Roto Roa for 12 months, and convicted and discharged upon charges of residing in the house and procuring liquor while prohibited.