BELLA GOT ON THE BEER.

NZ Truth, Issue 244, 26 February 1910, Page 6

BELLA GOT ON THE BEER.

'Cos Kitchener Had Come. The snow-white hair of Bella tylcKegney of Christchurch, is by no means emblematic of her moral purity, and does not represent the hue of her soul. Bella and sister Mary are the original soiled doves of the holy city, and have become a sort of institution, being always handy and on the premises to be held up as horrible examples to the rising generation: hJven persons like Bella ancr Mary have their ' uses, and a certain sentimental weakness is displayed when they 1 are before the. court, because they remind one of old times. "Kelly the Rake" is esteemed fdr the same reason. Mary was put away m an institution some little time ago. Bella had already been secured m the Samaritan Home, and had gone a considerable time without fracturing her good conduct record when Kitchener arrived. For some reason the visit of this veteran released oceansof beer, and the local police cells were largely patronised, Bella being among the number who "kitched" not wisely but too well. She escaped from bondage at Addington and drank the Field-Marshal's health deeply m the Royal Hotel. A long period of enforced abstinence was the means of sending the alcohol to her hoary head, and a . store of profane language, repressed for some time by clean living, floated to the surface on an artesian flow of beer, ahe refused to quit the pub., and was put out, and arrested by Bobby Collins, and all this occurred before, 5.30 p.m. She didn't see K. of Khartoum after a11..'.' Bella begged to be sent back to the Samaritan Home, and she was convicted by Bishop, S.M., and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, on the understanding that she entered the institution.