THE PERILS OF THE STREET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1267, 11 June 1896, Page 34

THE PERILS OF THE STREET.

It ig a startling 1 fact that tho streets of Wellington, the capital city of the Colony, are positively unsafe for unprotected women after nightfall. Tho gangs of coarse, foul-mouthed larrikins, and tho numbers of well-dressed but even coarser ruffians who infest by night all but a few of the principal streets of the metropolis ; and abovo all the supinenoss of the police force, and their completo indifference to what goes on anywhere but on Lambton quay and in Willis and Manners streets — except, perhaps, it be reported to them—make it quite impossible for women to venture forth in safety without escort at any hour after sunset.

A daring case of street robbery occurred at an early hour on Friday night in one of tho main thoroughfares in tho very heart of tho city. This outrage affords a striking oxamplo of tho condition into which tho control of our streets has drifted. A young lady living in Uoulcott street, and employed in a leading drapery establishment in Wellington, went out on Friday evening l to a friend’s house. She was returning homo at 0 o’clock, and was in Uoulcott street, when a man sprang out of the dark shadows cast by some high trees, and, rushing across tho roadway, caught her by the arms, aud exclaimed, in a threatening and peremptory voice—- “ I want half-a-crown 1”

Tho poor girl was too terrified almost to speak. There were no other people near ; tho electric light was out, as is often the case when it is wanted, and Willis street, whore there were crowds of passers-by, was too far away for an alarm to bo raised, ovon if tho girl had sufficient presence of mind to give an alarm. Sho remembered confusedly that she had a half-crown piece, and thrusting her hand hurriedly into her pocket, she gave tho money to the stranger, and then, quite unnerved and unstrung, flew into her homo a few yards off, and burst into tears as sho endeavoured to relate what had occurred.

By tho time search was made for tho thief, he had of courso decamped. In the darkness, and her own confusion, the girl had not been able to recognise him, and therefore that sho should give a description of him was manifestly impossible. To many a woman of nervous temperament tho shock caused by being roughly bailed up in this manner would mean a serious illness. And if it be possible for such an outrage to take place in the centro of the city, what must bo tho condition of affairs in tho suburbs ? Are the police aware of what is going on in To Aro, for

example ? It seems to be almost of nightly occurrence in To Aro, and especially about Ririe and Brougham streets, for women and girls to be followed to their very doorsteps by rascals who would vanish speedily, as cowards always do, if a robust-looking man with a cane appeared on tho scene.

There have been cases in which women who have come into the city to make purchases, and been detained until darkness set in, have reached their homes terrified and breathless, having been accosted and pursued. Only last week one young giil, whoso duties compel her to be abroad fill 7 o’clock in the evening, was twice followed

in this manner, and her state of absolute ! terror now when sho finds darkness setting

in, and tho prospect of the journey home i before her, may well be imagined. Another i girl living near Kent terrace, on her way homo not long since, found herself shadowed by a man, and walked quickly, ■ whereupon tho stranger also quickened his ! speed, seeing which the girl ran. Her pursuer at onco started running, and l followed her through tho street gate and i up tho pathway leading to her house. I When the girl saw this, her terror becamo j frenzy, and, not knowing what sho was doing, sho leaped an inner gate near the j door, and badly sprained one of her hands. I Brooklyn is a growing centro, but j women and girls who livo at Brooklyn are ' mortally afraid to walk into town alone at 1 night by way of tho reservo at tho top of ; Nairn street. This so-called public reserve ! is monopolised by hoodlums who freely | insult passers-by. As for Newtown, tho ; larrikins of that quarter of Wellington - havo already won a notoriety for them-

selves. This state of affairs has become intolerable. Tho police seem powerless. One policeman near Pirio street, however well ho may work, can do very little. In other suburbs which might be named, a constable is seen about as often as a crowned gorilla. But if tho police cannot cope with the evil, tho relatives of tho defenceless women who aro insulted in tho way described will not long remain quiescent. Law and ordor committees have been heard of before now, and it is strongly urged in several quarters that such a committee should bo formed to see that tho law is carried out, and, if tho law 1 is defective, to provide that it is at onco remedied.

The cost of tho wreath sent by tho City i Council to be placed on the coffin of tho late j Sir Henry Parkos was .£5 ss. I The Marine Department have decided that ■ a Magisterial enquiry into tho causes of tho 1 recent fire on tho s.s. Ruahino at tho Wol- ; lington wharf is not necessa-y, From tho j preliminary enquiry it appeared that the firo • was caused by combustion of the charcoal in I the insulating chamber, and tho department I have decided to bring tho wholo matter of tho j insulation of these steamers with charcoal j before the English Board of Trade, with a request that they will go fully into the matter and consider the advisability of making some regulation with a view 1 to prevent such fires in the future. Between 30 and 40 tenders have been received by the Public Works Department lor tho supply of 1(1,000 sloopers for the Eketa-huna-Woodville Railway. Heard in the Supreme Court. Tho Chief Justice : “ What do you mean by muddled r ” Witness: “Thick in the tongue. Tho man was not altogether sober, and he was not beastly drunk.” An object lesson in poverty was seen last I woek when the police raided an empty store i in Willis street, tho property of Mr Jacob Joseph, and found four able-bodied men, who | gave their names as Frank Larkin, (ienrge 1 Stewart, Stephen Nixon aud Fh.i’dos Briggs, j huddled togedier on the floor, and covered | witli a quantity of brown wrapping paper. I On being searched, their goods and chattels I were found to consist of a few pocket hand- \ kerchiefs and collars an I other odds and ends, whilst tho four men had not, a ; ingle | penny in their possession. I Thu following aro gazetted official visitors of lunatic asylums: Eliza Ceilings, Auckland Asylum ; John Graham, Nelson Asylum ; Fanny Sarah Cooke, Nelson Asylum ; Eliza

Reynolds, Hokitika Asylum ; Ann _ No rail Heaphy, Wellington Asylum; Alice .R. Schoch, Porirna Asylum; Hort jolm Rigg, Wellington and Porirua Asylums. There are four vacancies at tho Home tor the Aged and Needy—a married couple And a single man and Woman. At the last monthly meeting oi the Trustees of tho Home, accounts amounting to <£ss were passed for payment, The Customs duties Collected at this port for the past week amounted to <£3ool 4s Sd, and the beer duty to ,£213 13s.

At a meeting of the directors of the Gear Meat Preserving and Freezing Company on Saturday an interim dividend for the half-year ended 31st May at the rate of 10 per cent per annum was declared.

The following subscriptions have been received in aid of the Wellington Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Society's next show : Messrs W. and G. Turnbull and Co., .£2 2s ; Messrs Sargood, Soil Und Ewen, .£2 2s; Mr M. Clarke, ill Is; Mr W. Kenning, £1 Is; Gear Meat Company, <£l Is. At last week’s meeting ef the Suburbs Licensing Committee a circular was read from the Commissioner of Police issued to all police officers who are acting as inspectors of licensed houses, instructing thorn to .see that every hotel has a 1 wider for use as a fireescape. The chairman said that the members of the Committee thought it was tho duty ot the officers acting as inspectors to see that proper means of fire-escape are provided. They thought it an absurd rule that every hotel should bo required to have a ladder. The rumour published by the Wairarapa Star that Mr Coulls, of the firm of Coulls, Culling and Co., of Dunedin, has been appointed Government Printer is entirely without foundation,

A mail who was driving a milk-cart in tho vicinity of Oriental Bay last week reports that as ho was passing a certain passage-way four moil darted out, and one of them attempted to catch hold of the reins near the horse’s head. As it happened, the horse was going at a smart pace, and tho man failed, and though tho other three men started in pursuit, by dint of whipping up his horse tho driver was enabled to leave thorn behind. The extensive premises of Messrs E. T. Taylor and Co., ale anl stout bottlers, Ac., Courtenay place, are about to bo enlarged by the addition of a largo brick and cement cellar, to stand between 50 and 70 hogsheads of alo and stout, and store-room for 40,000 bottles of the same kind of liquor, so as to ensure to their numerous patrons a good and well-matured article. A well-fitted lavatory is also to be added to the premises, which it is intended to make as complote as possible for the firm’s extensivo business. A meeting of creditors was ca’lcd at the offico of tho Official Assignee last wook to hoar tho report on the proceeds of tho cstato. Assignee Ashcroft, after the gentlemen were all seated in silent expectancy, solemnly announced that there was nothing whatever in the estate, but to compensate them for the trouble of attending ho hid written tlirco verses of original po try, which he would read for them. No one was killed or maimed in the panic. Tho ill-fated barque Coromandel and her cargo, consisting of about 1100 tons of coal, were submitted for sale by auction on Monday by Messrs A. G. Taino and Co. The auction room was crowded to tho doors. After very spirited competition, the barque and cargo were knocked down to Mr Alexander Sutherland at tho sum of =£l2o.

The many friends of Mr 11. Miller, of the General Post Office, will bo pleased to learn that in Tattorsall’s sweep he drew Hindoo, tho second horso in the Randwiek Stakes, run last Saturday at Sydney. Tho amount of the prize is about <£2so. A social meeting of the members of Court Sir Gcorgo Bowen was held in the Foresters’ Hall last Monday. The following officers were elected :—Chief Ranger, Bro. Chote; SubChief Ranger, Bro. Ford ; Secretaries, Bro. Foley and Bro. Griffiths; Treasurer, Bro. Birch ; Senior Woodwards, Bro. Follis and Bro. Worth ; Junior Rangers, Bro. Worth, Bro. Sparks and Bro. Williams; Senior Beadle, Bro. Edwards. After the lodgo business a programme of music and dancing took place. The second concert of the Burns Society is to he held in tho Exchange Hall on Thursday, 25th insfc. Mr Mae Duff Boyd, tho musical director, is preparing a good programme, and tho concert promises to bo in every way as highly successful as any given by tho Soeioty. At the wookly meeting on Monday of tho Society for the P ovontion of Cruelty to Animals, Mr Si aim, tho secretary of tho Dramatic Students, read the balance-sheet, showing that tho profits of tho entertainment given by tho Students in aid of tho Society amounted to =£(l2 18s Bd. The thanks of the members wore tendered to Mr i-imm and tho Students. The inspector reported various eases which he had invostigatod. Mr J. I>. Cruikshank was elected in place of Mr Field, resigned. A meeting of tho eommittoo appointed at the last meeting of the Anti-Chinese League to report with regard to tho oiler of lan 1 at J liiisonvillo by Alr F. Moore was held last Monday. Mr A. Collins occupied the chair, and Mr Moore was also present. The following were appointed a committee : —Messrs Collins, Jlaggen, Rev W. A. Evans and Mrs Tasker, with Mr James Kilminsler, of Belmont. as an expert, to inspect the land next Saturday.

Thomas’ Hall was well filled last Monday, when the Rob Roy (Juadiillo Assembly gave their first bull of their season. There were about 200 people present, and a most enjoy, able evening was spent. An excellent supper was provided, and Fischer’s String Baud performed good dam e music.

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