A PAIR OF "PROS."

NZ Truth, Issue 170, 19 September 1908, Page 7

A PAIR OF "PROS."

STREET-STROLLERS SENT UP. Were They to Pimp for the Police? Positive Perjury Somewhere.

When a theatrical company intends to make an appearance m any city, town, or- hamlet, the manager, it he has any business capacity whatever about him, invariably booms the star artistes for all they, are worth and a damn sight more per medium' of the daily press, with a view to drawing crowded houses ami gathering m the coin. -,Teresa Stevens, better known m her particular profession— the oldest profession known to historians— as Tessie Russell, is a star of the first water m the famous Night Nymphs Company, consequently when she made a preliminary appearance at the Lamb ton Quay theatre last Monday week— a sort of undress-re-hearsal—her astute manager, Wm. istevens, who 'described himself as a "bottleoh" dealer, caused an application to be made faro a postponement <of the drama for one'weelc which was granted and made known through the columns of the daily suppress. Tessie and her understudy, Ada .Barrett/made their re-appearance dressed PRILLS, FEATHERS, FURBELOWS „ AND FLOUNCES ,• on Monday- last,, and were chaperoned by •Mr Percy. JCackson'.. Magistrate RLddell /occupied the ."' royal box, while Sub-Inspec-tor Phair officiated as dramatic critic. .Oops Oarmody and ' Abbott ' had charge of ■ the comedy element, whilst the "bottleoh" person also spoke a few lines. , Cop. Carmody *■ remarked that he and Cop. Abbott met casually at the G.P.O. at 7 p.m. on the night of September 7th and proceeded towards Waterloo Quay,, where ladies are wont to saunter for the purpose of 'taking the air and. anything of a more, substantial nature that they can lay hands on." The two copmen saw Tessie and Ada with another angelic creature named Watteor., and were shocked to" see ' Ada take a naughty man into the Government Railway yard for a 'purpose too easily, imagined. Then the pair of\ cops lost sight of the ladies, but subsequently observed them talking to four men. This was enough for Oarmody the copman arid his pal Abbott, , who thought it time to stop the gambollirtgs of the innqcenrt lambs, and with that bor ject m view escorted them to the Lambton Quay lock-up. Replying to Mr Jackson, Carmody saifl Jit would be 7.15 p.m. when he flrst v saw the ladies, and 8.10 p.m. when he arrested them.. The women came to the cops and said. ■ _ '•HOW ARE YOU GETTING ON ?" On the way 'to the lock-up Tessie made some remark to the effect - that the cops, had not .seen -.them doing , anything; She also said "Watson is more cunning than us, and did the right thing by running away." -'Abbott did not say to Tessie, '♦You will tout for the D's,, but not for met" Mrs Stevens said, "It's no use touting for you chaps." Cop. Abbott said he had known the two women as being prostitutes for several years. -He corroborated much of Oarmody's evidence, but said that Tessie came up, to; them and said,' ';Oh, what are you blokes battling round here tonight for; you haven't seen us doing anything ?'■'■• He said. "We've seen quite en,ough, so yoju'll have to come along with us." When searched at the Police Station Ada Barrett} had 2s m her possession, but Tessie had no money. On the Way to the iock-un Tessie showed her amiability by using obscene language and called the copmen blanky blanking Johns. For the defence. Tessie swore that she did not leave her husband's house, m Forrester's Lane, until 7.30 p.m., and went to the G.P.O. with Ada Barrett to get a telegram. As the message had not arrived they walked peacefully along Waterloo Quay to kill time suntil nearly eight o'clock, 'when .she had to meet her husbland who was going to take her to see the pictures at His Majesty's m Uourtenay Place. Whilst walking along Waterloo Quay they saw a copper- holding tip a telegraph post, and as ALL THE CONSTABLES KNEW HER, she steered clear of this particular one. Barrett never left her,' but she and Barrett went into the railway yard together. They told the • cdp'men they were going to | the G:P.O;, but , 'Oarmody- ■' said, "No, you!re not,- you're coming with (us." Abbott had on one occasion asked her to tell him where Edie Simmons was, but she would not tell him. When arrested by the cops, Abbott said, "You won't tout for me, but you will tout for the D's." She said, "You're paid to do yofur own work, and not mci" He asked her, what she had m the bank, and she told him to mind his own business/ She denied having seen the girl \yatson that night. . Ada Barrett pitched the same yarn as Tessie about leaving Coiirtenay Place at 7.3p and denied havine taken a man into the railway yard. , Wm. Stevens, who described himself as a "dealer, said Tessie, and , Ada left the .house at 7.30 and were to meet him .outside the theatre at 8 p.m. To Sub-Inspector Phair, : Stevens admitted having been cpnvicted for vagrancy.— ■' ' " ' .'■ •!:•;■ ■'■. - ■■: '■. •■■ ' . His Worship said there HAD BEEN POSITIVE PERJURY* either on the part of the constables or the accused persons. There was no necessity for two married- women to go to a part of the town which was notorious ; they could just us easily have gone to some other part. He sent the, two women to gaol for one month each, and as the pair left the Court by the private route, the; patrons of the Court filed out just as the audience of a theatre do when the 'curtain drops on the last scene. Probably many of. Tessie's and Ada's clients [were onlookers of the thrilling drama.