FIRTH'S FLIGHTINESS.

NZ Truth, Issue 198, 3 April 1909, Page 6

FIRTH'S FLIGHTINESS.

Where Virtue is Compulsory.

Edith Firth, one of the unfortunate class, lied with great fluency m Christchurch S.M. Court t'other day when charged with saying "Duckie"to strange men by night m Madras-street on Saturday last. "I was m Wellington on Saturday," she remarked to Magistrate Bishop, "and couldn't have been m Madrasstreet." She also pleaded .not guilty , to vagrancy, and Copper Garitey entered the box to confound her. He and Peeler Regan were discussing the Dreadnought question, or something, ■-, m. . Madrasstreet south at 8.30 p.mi; when they saw Edith accost two men. Apparently her unvirtuous proposals were well received because she was seen later steering a man to a dark spot m Mobrehouseavenue, where sinfulness was meditated. In the interests of morality the coppers prevented the devilish deed, and the miserable man acknowledged that, Edith had invited him rfco fracture one 'of' "the Commandments with her. Carney saifl he had known the woman for eighteen months as a black angel, a sentiment endorsed by Regan, who. saw her a week previously with a man named Hilsoh, whom she said was keeping her. 'Tec. Gibson also testified to EDITH'S DISGRACEFUL MODE OF LIVING. On Saturday he had occasion to visit Madras-street and there saw her talking with a reputed prostitute named Reilly and a reputed thief named Sheehan. Edith persisted m her story that she had only arrived m Christchurch from Wellington on Sunday morning, and desired to call a person -named Wilson, who was keeping her. The unhappy Wilson was located m the body of the Court, but refused' to rise. "She's telling lies," lie. said. His Worship ordered the man into the witness-box. He looked and spoke like a Swede or a compatriot of the Kaiser's. The angelic Edith came to Christchurch with him from Wellington a fortnight ago, he said, and her yarn about her alleged absence was all moonshine. Magistrate Bishop sternly reproved the woman for attempting to get , this man to tell a lie, and without looking at her record sent her up for three months to a place where compulsory virtue is one of the hard and fast rules.