KELLY THE KROOK.

NZ Truth, Issue 137, 1 February 1908, Page 5

KELLY THE KROOK.

THE FLASH FELLOW FALLS IN. The Spielers and the Photographic Biz; Harry Lyons has a Close Shave* , '

■"Flash" Kelly is m trouble again. Christchuroh this time. A young man, a .good spieler,, but not possessed of ability or nous enough to keep out of the clutches of the police. And those claws mean gaol. Ernest George Kelly has been m that gloomy palace of misery m - Christohurch and Wellington on quite & number of occasions, and has cursed there and offered up devotions m the prison chapel—a place where they don't take up a collection. But George's piety, is merely superficial, and is branded with the broad arrow of insincerity. Tie fool when out of gaol doesn't go and get work ; nor does he select the j most respectable companions,, and he doesn't appear to be too particular who he drinks with. The police always separate the sheep from . the goats m a manner of speaking, and when they take a hand the goats get a mighty bad time of it. Kelly, is now doing time for being an idle and disorderly person, who habitually consorted with reputed thieves and persons having no lawful means of subsistence. Hje denied the foul accusation, i . Acting-Tec. Jim Kennedy told the Court what he knew about Kelly, and it didn't redound to bis credit. Kelly's credit, not Kennedy's. He mentioned any amount of bad characters with whom accused had consorted m the city at all hours of the night and day. When arrested Kelly said he may have been with reputed thieves, but it was only when beer held sway in 1 his upper dormitory. Kennedy had dnly known Kelly for about six months, and had never known ' him to carry a hod or count the stars for the local astronomer. "Haven't I 'been away four nnonths out of that six ?" asked accused} "You may have ; I have only known you by repute for six months, but during the last two I have noticed your acquaintanceship with PEOPLE OF DOUBTFUL REPUTE," replied Kennedy. Haven't I been working with Lyons, the photographer ?— You may have been doing so. You go abdut together. It is an old dodge to go thieving or something else. It is a "blind" to go around thieving. You are always m company with people of bad character. You arrested me m the Railway Hotel ; was I m company .with crimr inals there ?— You were ; you talked to them and were whispering m their ears. 'Acting-Tec. Ward next subscribed his little lot, and Kelly listened with a whole-hearted . listen. Ward had known him eighteen months. He trotted round with a criminal named Lyons, the latter carrying, a camera. He mixed with thieves and. reputed thieves, all of whom he named, giving date, time atfid the number of thepsalm. In . reply to a 'Question, Ward said that 'Tec. Bishop had cautioned the accused on one occasion, and he them replied that he was leaving town m a few days. It wa9 true that Bishop did ask him. if he -was staying at Cockayne's under an assumed name, but he didn't know if Bish mistook him for someone else or not. When you saw me m bad company wasn't 1 I drunk ?— iYou are always drunk, and keep company with thieves or reputed thieves! . Have you seen me m the New Zealander 'Hotel lately ?— The licensee won't serve you there. . Oh, nonsense. 'Tec Gibson next put Kelly's pot* on, and 'Tec. Bishop, was was leading the prosecution m the absence of Chief 'Tec. Chrystal, owing to illness, followed, and said that he had known accused for ten long years, and had never known him to -work all that time except when he was m gaol. He reeled out name after name — »a hell of a list of persons with whom he had seen "Flash" Kelly consort. His visiting list is indeed a' most extensive one. He was crossexamined by the defendant. Do you remember the last time I spoke to you ?— 'As soon as you see nue, Kelly, if you are standing at any corner, you clear off like lightning. I don't think so !— Yes and' you know you are due long ago. here. I don't get a chance to associate with respectable persons ! — You are a disgrace to mankind. I know a lot more -about you that I can't say now. You live with criminals, and are never apart. ■That was the 'Tec's, parting shot. For the defence Henry H. Lyons (also under arrest on a similar charge) was called by Kielly. He said he was a travelling photographer, and Kelly approached him asking to be taken on as canvasser. An agreement was effected. They travelled together, but the attentions, of the police were . so unpleasant that they separated the, previous week. While together they averaged a couple of quid a week each. 'Tec. Bishop : How long have you been m the colony ? — All my life, practically ; I was born m Auckland. Have you ever been .put off racecourses m the North Island ? — Not that I remember. • AREN'T YOU A BLUDGER, and run a prostitute ?— Emphatically Po- / Don't you live with i prostitute ?— Yes, I keep her. What is her name ?— Well, I . don't know her real name, but she is known as Mrs Lyons. Isn't her name Dennison ?:— I believe it is. Did you nave occasion to leave the North Island ?— Yes, I went to Australia to see any relations. Did you get into trouble there over anything ?— Yes, I got • twelve months for passing a coin. What have you been doing since ?•— J Since I returned to Christcluuch I j haven't been a day out of work 'They chase me from billut to billet. •

•Don't you knock about with thieves and prostitutes ?— 'Decidedly not. Haven't you asked detectives ta leave you alone ?— No, but I have remonstrated with you over your con^ duct. I have seen you pointing at me m the street. Weren't you under the influence ofr liquor witen you remonstrated with' me ?— Yes, but I knew what I was doing. ■ • Ami what about this woman Dennison ?— I have been keeping her foe twelve months past. ■ ' . < The next witness called was Frank Robinson, who took Kelly to Sumner for the gala, where they did photographic work. That was a few days, before he was arrested. Kelly's whack* would be fifteen bob. 'Tec. Bishop : Haven't you -lived! with prostitutes ?~-I don't know. Come now, answer the question., Haven t you ?— Yes, I've lived with! one. . . « And have you not been turned out;, of houses of this kind ?— Well, there was one place m Madras-street, but it was the sub-tenants that I let the - rooms too that caused the trouble. ' Aren't you always drunk and asso-. ciate with thieves ?*-No, I don't associate w'itb anyone, but keep to. myself. • . - . The accused had last say. According to the evidence he had only been associating with the men' mentionedf with a short period '; he had -been drinking heavily; and even when he was sober he. had walked into shops' to avoid these men. He had been' 1 trying bis best to reform-, mi he' asked that the Court request him to come up for sentence when called upon. Magistrate Day said he wouldn't be justified IN LETTING KELLY LOOSE on the public. Three months. Henry. Lyons,, last prisoner's alleg-« ed employer, next faced the bench on a similar charge, and he was defended by Mr Donnelly, a plea of not guilty being entered. 'Tec. Ward briefly told the Court that Lyons was a blud-ger, that he • lived on the woman Dennison ; that he travelled round with a camera,, and associated with thieves. To Mr Donnelly : It was true that Lyons worked m "Wonderland duriha -Exhibition time. Didn't the police get him out of there ?—No. Was there any mention of him made amongst the detectives ?— Yes, as soon as I knew he was m ChiistchMrch I told every man m the office. Did any officer cause him tV be put out of Wonderland ?— Not to my. knowledge. Didn't he get a second billet, and didht he get knocked out of that through the police ?— I don?t think so. And didn't he get a third billet, and didn't he have to leave that ow- * ing to the action of the police ?— ! don't think so; but he did tell me that some of the detectives had got him out of the Exhibition. Will you swear that he is living on this woman Dennison ; will you swear *"' that he has ever had any money from her ?r— No. 'Tec. Bishop said he had known Lyons for ten years, mostly m the North' Island. He associated with* persons of evil reputer He read out a. number of occasions on which he had seen accused m bad company. One particular date and hour was disputed hy Mr Donnelly, who held a bill showing that Lyons was m the hospital on that date. When crossexamining, he wanted to see that date m Bishop's book ; he had read from his pocket-book and the Bench had taken ijb down. But it was nonexistent, and the Witness admitted having made a mistake. It was the only date that Donnelly could catchhim" on, and Biship said that the entry referred to the following month. Tec. Gibson had- known Kelly for the last six or eight months, during which time he had been LIVING ON A PROSTITUTE, named Dennison. He knocked about with thieves.' ' • ' Mr Donnelly ?— Will you swear that he has ever received any money from this woman ?— On one occasion I saw, her haud him something outside the Caversham Hotel. It is quite one thing living with her and 1 living on her ?— Well, I don't know -how he'd live if it wasn't for her prostitution. Counsel said the police had known defendant for ten years, - and there was only one conviction against him -rftbat of passing a coin, m Australia. To stamp Lyons as a bludger and an associate of thieves was only a piece of police vituperation. If Dennison kept her paramour, why hadn't she been called as a witness ? The Magistrate determined the case to be not quite strong enough, and he dismissed it.