LURED FROM HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8178, 20 July 1912, Page 1

LURED FROM HOME

THREE AUCKLAND GIRLS FASCINATED BY A MINSTREL TROUPE. DUSKY DON JUANS. SPECIAL TO THE "TIMES.'' CHRISTCHURCH, July 10. Tho police are concerning themselves with the fate of three girls whose folly lias led them into sad straits. It seems that the girls had attached themselves to three members of Kersand’s Minstrel Company. They were kept in a boardinghouse by those men, hut were left behind when the company left for Ashburton. Acting on a telegram from the father of two of the girls, the Christchurch police investigated the matter, and it was found that the girls had been left destitute, and actually owing a small sum for their board. The facts may be stated very concisely. Two of the girls, aged fifteen and eighteen, are sisters, whose mother keeps a boardinghouse in Auckland, and whose father is believed to lie a wharf laborer. Tho father has Samoan blood in him, and the mother is believed to bo a West Indian. The sisters are, therefore, very dark in complexion, and might very well pass as members of the company. The third girl is a white girl. She was staying with the sisters in Auckland. It is understood that tho three girls became acquainted with the minstrels a*/ the mother’s boardinghouse, and an unfortunate infatuation resulted. They left their home some time after the minstrels left Auckland, and joined them in Christchurch. They lived in the same boardinghouse for a week. The sisters say that they left home in consequence of a disagreement with their parents, and the other girl accompanied them. Their idea was to join the troupe if possible. They deny that there was any impropriety as far as their relations with tho minstrels were concerned. Their friends left them, promising to send money to take them south later on.

The story of these girls is a simple one, but it has a revolting side. It has come to tho knowledge of the police that some other white girls followed other minstrels in the same company from the North, and stayed at the same boardinghouse. It is believed that they have returned to Wellington. The whole”occurrence is distinctly unsavory, and most people would be glad if steps were taken to make a repetition of similar occurrences impossible. - , 1 Tho police in Christchurch acted on a telegram from the father of the two sisters, who was much concerned about the'fat© of" the‘younger girl. Information is now being awaited from the Auckland police. STRANDED! LEFT : DESTITUTE IN A STRANGE CITY. ASSISTANCE FORTHCOMING. AUCKLAND, July 19. “Stranded in Christchurch 1” was tho text of a telegram which came over tho wires to Auckland last night, in response to general inquiries distributed throughout tho Dominion by the local police, in connection with tho surreptitious departure of three girls from their home in Auckland one night last week. A further telegram from Christchurch stated that the girls in question were reported to have followed a negro minstrel troupe to that city. A representative of the “ Star ” mad© some inquiries this morning of the mother of two of the girls. She is a halfcaste Maori. Her distress over the occurrence was very apparent, and she stated that she was at a complete loss to account for . tho actiofi of her daughters. One of them has just turned seventeen and the other is only fourteen. The third member of the absconding trio is a white girl, aged about eighteen. The mother of the two • first-named positively disclaimed any knowledge of an acquaintance having sprung up between her girls and any members of a minstrel troupe. As a matter of fact, she said, those people left Auckland fully three weeks before her daughters went away. She felt that some undue power of persuasion must have been brought to bear on them, as their home life had been apparently comfortable and happy. Her first knowledge of the departure was gained early the next morning, when one of tho children came and told her that their eldest sister was not in her bed. Investigations showed that both girls had mysteriously disappeared. 'J ho elder one had gone out the previous evening, with the stated intention of going to the theatre, while tho younger girl was thought to be in bed. From information now to hand it is apparent that the trio left by the Alain Trunk train that night for Wellington. It appears that the elder of the two sisters is musical, and she was allowed considerable freedom for - taking part in evening outings. She and the Kingsland girl were constant companions, but tho younger sister rarely went out .with them.at night. “ I really don’t know why they took roy baby away with them,” sobbed the mother, in referring to the smaller girl. The father of one girl and the mother of the other two attended at the police station this morning in response to the inquiries of the police. The latter produced the amount of the fares necessary for the return of her daughters from Christchurch, but the former appeared to hesitate over the matter. - MANAGER’S STATEMENT KNEW NOTHING OF THE MATTER. PRESS ASSOCIATION. TIMARU, July 19. Kcrsand’s minstrels arc now hero, and the “Herald” reported an inter-

view with the manager regarding statements in a telegram from Christchurch. Mr Westmacott said that this was the first he had heard about the girls coming from Auckland. On arrival at Lyttelton three girls who came down with the minstrels were sent back.. As for the Auckland girls the men had taken care not to let the management know. The sub-manager, Mr Suyder, said: “We have the greatest trouble to keep girls away from the members of the company, and if girls will persist in running after us what can we do?” Both averred • that they did their best to prevent girls following ' the men from place to place, and had a standing threat of immediate dismissal if the men encouraged it.