NOISOME NORTH-STREET.

NZ Truth, Issue 110, 27 July 1907, Page 6

NOISOME NORTH-STREET.

MINNIE McNEIL'S MISTAKE. Sweet Sisters Have a Row. Max Woolfe's 'Appy 'Ome. The hot thoroughfare m Wellington which bears tbe same moniker as the Rev. J. J. North, was the scene of a verbal disturbance at 11.15 p.m. on Monday July 15. This is not an uncommon experience for North street, but the lydy responsible on this occasion was unnecessarily loud m her unseaming remarks. On Monday last Minnie McNeil was charged with using obscene language too blushful to be mentioned m • open court, at tho time, on the date, and* m the locality mentioned. Minnie, v. r ho was defended by Mr Jackson, is a good looking young woman, who wore a blue frock, with hat to match, as the society papers say, relieved by a grey fur boa, and she also wore an expression of suppressed tears.

The principal evidence against her was given by Bobbies Miahoney and Lister, whose attention was directed to a three-roomed cottage from which blood-curdling screams and language emanated-. Tbe dreadful words which horrified the constables were written down -j mi - tho charge sheet, ama were carei'tilly-J iread by the people concerned. aii_3ief>tpeele-rs demanded admittaiic^niand-j iwere ushered m by Max \y^fg{-:.jwbo.-. is.- getting quite a familiar' "^ure, ii.' the witness box, and who is living with Minnie. They found m the house Max, Minnie; and Minnie's sister, ancl tbe row- was about Minnie's sister. Minnie wanted to kick ber out, but Max would not hear of it, bence tbe trouble.

\Tn reply to solicitor Jackson, Constable Mflhonoy said the language could be beard hy the occupants oi a cab which drew up at the entrance to North-street, and also by stray pedestrians who gathered to witness the circus. When outside be couldn't see Minnie, but he recognised her voice. The words weren't

UTTERED BY THE SISTER, who was too frightened to speak. The constable, with a clearer recollection of tilings, got permission to change the character of one opprobrious epithet m the charge to another unpleasant word. There was trouble between Minnie and her sister. What class of people live m Northstreet ?— All sorts. Any particular sort ?— Good and bad. Is language of that sort, though not so sultry, a common thing m North-street- ?— Not altogether. Constable O'Donovan : There' are some respectable poor people m the street, arc there not ?— Yes. They have no choice ? — Tbat is so. Constable Lister corroborated. Minnie's sister was m the back room m bed, half-dressed, when the police entered. She called Lister into the room to tell bim about it. The class which resided m Northstreet was pretty rough. j Mr Jackson, for tbe defence, de- ! nicd that certain portions of the language were used, and remarked that Minnie had called, Woolf "A GERMAN COON," instead of a German something else. But even i£ bad language bad been used, it wouldn't have the same effect m North-street as it would m a more respectable quarter. The people who heard it would be . residents or visitors to the street for dubious purposes, and their morals would not be greatly outraged by the language.

Minnie McNeil said she was living with Max Woolf, and had a disturbance with her sister on the night m question. She put her relative out earlier m the day, but the expelled person came back again while Minnie was out. She bad taken her m on the previous Saturday ' night, and tried to get rid of her on Monday, but Woolf wanted her to remain till the morning, and Minnie and Max bad a row over it. She called him a German cooh. Sbe also called her sister ' a 'prostitute, which she was, nothing more or less. Her sister slept m the kitchen, but was m the passage when the police came m.

Max Woolf corroborated. During the twelve months he had lived with Minnie, she had not made use of thc shocking language mentioned m the charge.

Magistrate Riddell said they had evidence that the street was a rough one, and people went there either by choice or through necessity. Certainly there were persons there who, like tho accused, did not, have a very high moral standard. The evidence showed that obscene language bad been used, and he imposed a fine of 40s, and costs 7s.

It seems to be the idea of some ■Johnnies that the girl who works the beer engine is morally a sort of first cousin to thc girl who earns ber daily crust by saying ''Goodnight, old boy." A local tram conductor, who imagines that he is the only lion after Daniel when girls are about, got this idea m his thinking box and tried to put the .'theory into practice recently. He invited a fair and buxom Hebe to spend an evening at Fuller's and thought there was no blight on the turnip crop when the girl consented. They met about an hour before show time and wandered up towards Mount Victoria to fill m the time- Just before entering upon the secluded slope of that lovers' paradise the "Fares please" man made a proposal to thc lady m as cold-blooded and passionless a manner as he would demand a penny from any ordinary laborer riding on his car. The lady was naturally knocked silly ait such a monstrous nnd ..indelicate proposition and asked what be meant." Tbe carman seemed to be equally flabbergasted to think that he could be possibly refused, end be asked m a brutal manner, "What the h do you think I brought you out for. Do you think I bring so much custom to your bar for nothing ?" That settled the acquaintanceship. The p-irl just slapped him on tin face and streaked for tbe city, leaving noor Lothario thinking hard over the fact that a maid must be wooed to be y;on.