WOMAN TAKES TO GIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19169, 7 November 1925, Page 14

WOMAN TAKES TO GIN.

WORKING TOO LONG HOURS. A PIE SHOP PROPRIETRESS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1 CHEISTCHURCE. Friday. Tha case of a woman who had taken to drinking dry gin after wotking 16 to 13 hours a day in building up a business, was heard in Court to-day, before Mr. H. A. Young, S.M., when Louisa Beale, aged 28, a married woman with three childien, appeared on remand on a charge of helpless drunkenness, and was further cha:ged with wilfully damaging a padtred cell and the bed and mattress in the cell at the Addington Women's Reformatory. When she appeared previously the police stated she was "seeing things," and asked for a remand so that she could receive medical treatment. To-day Mr. J. B. Batchelor pleaded guilty for 'accused. Counsel said the woman was proprietress of a pie shop and for some time had been working. 16 hours or 18 hours a day. The sUam had been too much and she had > een taking stimulants. Miss Cavdale, social worker, said defendant worked very hard and was very clean and thrifty. Witness was very sorry for defendant, who had been drinking for three months off and on. On the complaint of being helplessly drunk defendant was ordered to pay 7s 6d medical expenses, and on the charge of doing wilful damage in the cell she was ordered to pay the"cost of the damage, £2 6s 6d. in default two days' imprisonment. Her application to take out a prohibition order against herself was granted.