BLUE AND BROWN.

NZ Truth, Issue 169, 12 September 1908, Page 5

BLUE AND BROWN.

SOMECHARACTERS THE COLOR

OF CAMBRIDGE.

Charges of Assault and

Vagrancy.

A Family Outing m the Christchurch

Court.

When a story is impropah it is referred to as a "blue": anecdote, and there must 'be something m a name, after all, when • the Blue family m Christchurch should be continually before the Police, Court m connection Avith something impropah. Thomas Blue is a young, man with a face sin-marked by previous generations of Blues, and ho didn't look out of place m the prisoner's dock t'other day when charged Avith unlaAvfully assaulting a prossy named Minnie BroAvn. on June 30, and with smashing a door m the building of Herbert John Suckling. June 30 is a long while ago, (but Blue seems to have successfully evaded service of the summons until quite recently, when the police collared him at his work, and, by a strange coincidence, bopbed his mpther on another charge on the same day ; so that the charge sheet, the normal color of which' is blue, took on a vivid Cambridge hue. Lawyer Leathern appeared for Blue, and pleaded guilty to* both charges. At the same time he pointed out to the J.P. Bench the length of time that had elapsed since the misdemeanor, also the circumstance that Minnie. Brown, ithe assaulted person, was not hurt,, that sbo was m a state of beer at the time, and was now doing time on AN IDLE AND DISORDERLY' CHARGE m gaol. Blue Avas arrested at the \ State coal yards, where he had acquired a respectable job. ' , - . Station-Sergeant Johnston, explained the facts. Blue and Brown commenced fighting m the vicinity of. Suckling's shop, ' and piebald streaks of language darted around the landscape like an animated barber's pole. Brown's name might, with peculiar appropriateness, be Purple, although -,'■ her character is blue enough to occasion pain to the pious. Blue attacked Brown, who sought refuge m Suckling's premises, and Blue. • followed,. Minnie : got 'behind a closed door, but Blue battered it m, ihliicting the damage already, mentioned. ' Minnie was subsequently committed to the Samaritan Home on the idle and disorderly charge; she escaped from that institution and was given a chance m the home of the cornet and big drum, but her dissatisfaction Avith tigers of cold piety and restraint of animal spirits landed her m gaol, where she now was.". 'lf appeared from the records that Blue wasn't a first /offender , By any means, and he was fined l€s or 48. hours,, and ordered to pay 18s, ; damage to Suckling's door. : .-;•■

, His mother, Mary Blue, was then charged with being an idle and disprderJy perspn, and protested her , innpceuce with indignation'; ' Peeler Pendor stated ■chat at .8.30 on the previous evening; he had arrested the Avwnan m Cambridgeterrace, Avhere she had been loitering m company with a prostitute named Sheehan. For some weeks the copper's eye had been lifted on the female, Avhc was m the. habit of sticking menup' on' the Manchester-street bridge, for the purpose of ■ '. ■; . ■)'"'■ ■■ ■ ■■' LEADING THEM IN^O TEMPTATION, and of practising evil Avith them. Num-' erbus complaints had been received by the police ' from men ,av hose chaste sensibilities had been shocked ,by immoral proposals made by women oh -the Man-chester-street bridge. Accordingly a watch Avas kept, and . two arrests were made. . ' „

Mary: Did I not tell yqu 1 was wili.^ ing for my. son ?— Yes , you .Said that were Avaiting fpr a man 4he. other night, too.. You were speaking to everybody Avho passed by. especially to young fellows. ■ .;■ .;.■•'■..''•-■'■•' "•■' ■

Copper Carney said, ne had known ihe woman for twelve months, and her reputation Avas as blue as her name. She was a common prostitute and consorted with members of the demi-mode ; moreover, she did no , work.

Mary . Blue stated that, on the contrary,, she had been negotiating with her son Tom to take a house and live with him. Her visits vto 'Manchesterstreet. bridge at night were for the purpose of meeting Tom, m connection with their future plan : of action, and she couldn't : help meeting the woman Slieehan at the; bridge, as that person was always there. Mrs Blue acknowledged that she had ' ONCE PREVIOUSLY BEEN ■ 4 ARRESTED at the bridge m company with a startr ling person named Minnie Brown. She called her son' Tom, who corroborated the . statement that ,the old party frequented the bridge for the purpose of meeting him (Thomas), Furthermore, he swore that he had been giving his mother 15s a week for some months, so that, she wasn't without lawful visible means of support. I&argreaves, chairman, said the Bench had' no doubt m. their own mind a,hquts the unpleasant features of the, case, but the woman wasn't charged Av|th prostitution, or with consorting Avith= prostitutes. They didn't believe the Avoman's statement m explanation cf 'hex-, presende on the bridge ; nevertheless, the son's evidence went to sliqav that she had laAvful means of support. The case was dismissed, m the circumstances, tut Mary was warned that . she was liable toyproV secution .ynder the prostitution section t of the Act, ■' when she wouldn.'t escape so lightly. '•'-, ;.■• . Elizabeth bheehan, Mary's . companion, m disgrace, is a hardened-looking battler, with a face like American- canned beer "suftering from erysipelas. She "was also charged Avith being idle and disorderly, and with having no lawful visible means of support. ■•■Copper Carney said she had been a common prostitute to his knoAVledge for a period of eighteen months. She liA'ed on the fruits- of .'indiscretions Avit-h sundry men, and her stand " Avas the Manchester-street Lriilgc, where passing males AVere led astray, although why anybody should feel djsposed ■to sin.. wn.it a face like that AVasjv'.t explained by the police. Probably darkness, like charity, . COVERED A MULTITUDE OF things;.. On the previous evening Peelers Carney arid Fender watched her take a man to her residence m Victor ia-stteet, and although the Johns couldn't see into the puilding, Avhjoh was a dilapidated, shop, they feared the Avorst. The lydy subsequently returned to the bridge, and Avas loitering thereabouts for an hour and a half. ' ' ■ ' Pqjicenian Pender kneAV Elizabeth as one of the Avorst fbr about eight months. He, top, had Avitnessed the incident Avith ■the nia'e person on the previous nightLiz: Do I keep a shop ?— I don't know if it,- ih you or your husband. Yon <:Wn't hear the conversation Avith this?- man ";— No, but 1 saw you go and speak t<i him and lead him to the shop m Victoria-Jticet, Did you see me. turn on the pas f,nd giA'e him the things he AVanted V— No ; you came hack to' the* bridge again ; you were only there, for a short time. Liz (modestly) : I wouldn't', go and stay there by myself with liim. It appeared from further information that the. husband of Eli?al-e!h Avas & scissors grinder, ;avlio Avasn't j:-arti"ul..uly" temperate, and Liz. ' Avon t ■ out soli.i'ing immoral favors.

Mrs. Sheeban- stated m her own dtfaiCts thae she had lawful visible means of support, and that her husband sharpened knives and scissors, and cutlery, and allowed her £1 week, and , she herself worked"' a machine from morning till dark. They did biz. m the, umbrella line. The gent, who accompanied her to the shop on the night m question was Xv Curl or -Kyrit;. ' or suniollun^ lilc that, &ncl he XuiiCiJ foi J*is I^.SJs »&3t lta'J Le^n

left to be set, to grind razors being part of the firm's duties. In reply to the police, she had NO RECOLLECTION OP A PREVIOUS CONVICTION, a circumstance that occasioned aslonishment to those who had been through the police records. This case was similar to. Ihc last, as Elizabeth hntfn't l:ecn proved a vagranS. The charge didn't cover prostitution,, and ill disniissing the information, "iha Bench warned the woman that if slie continued her conduct m the vicinity, of the bridge she would l.c gaoled under another section of the Act.