SINFUL ELINA SENTENCED.

NZ Truth, Issue 250, 9 April 1910, Page 7

SINFUL ELINA SENTENCED.

Peculiar Magisterial Procedure.

Regularly every week, during the past two luoutiis, tlie name of iilina Stewart, alias Richards, has beeu called m the Auckland Polite Court, the charges being that she did. keep a brothel, and, 'further, that she was an idle and disorderly person without visible lawful means of support. Something has always happened to keep Elina '-■out oi the dock. In the iirst instance she failed to appear, having had a miscarriage on the morning • set down for her trial, and medical certificates were produced ; a week , previously she had come to the Court, , but had tired oi waiting; got shikkur, and cleared out, after passing m some grog to Lily Casey, who had been sent along for a sixer. On Thursday, , March 31, she was again called, but failed to answer, and, as the police asserted that she was quite well, and was, •m fact, plying the ancient trade, a warrant was issued for her arrest.'Constable Murphy, the terror* of the Freeman's Bay hooligans, boohed her, and next day site was called upon to answer the charge, before Messrs Bagley and Maurice Casey, J'B.p. vSergeant Sheehan prosecuted, and W. JB. Hackett defended. The Court was cleared, and, the usual audience filed out m disgust.' • ' The sto'ryVrclated was a sordid one. Eiiaa, who is liring : with a ship's steward named Frederick Richards, has occupied houses both jin* ".Victoria, and Nelson streets, such beifig>* ostensibly .boardinghouses. The neighbors, however, thought otherwise, and, wlien they saw a wellknown prostitute' yclept "Irish Molly" residing there, and strange men coming; and going at all hoars of ;fchc' night, they doubted %he bona fides of the" *' apartments to let" card m the front window, and complained to the police of the an'no^ance, especially as strange men came to their domiciles m mistake for that '■' of 'Elina. When the couple shifted from Vic-toria-street all .was peace m that neighborhood, but their arrival m Nelsonstreet was' a signal/ for trouble, and the neighbors were quickly up m arms. ; The tremble culminated on January -31-,- when Tom Satan and bis mate Charlie Adams (a seaman on the Tofua) anchored at fee' NeJ son-street crib. After the former had had a beer m the -.kitchen, he felt that Charlie had been taken down, and he trieO to get him away, but without avail. He then went out himself, and returned- Jater and ran ■ -upstairs to search for his pal, when he stopped a punch with his nose and was hustled out into the night. He-went to the police station and made a complaint;' but Charlie stuck--- to: Ms charmei, and nothing came of it.: Sergeant Ferguson kept a watch on the house and satisfied'' himself that immoral conduct was taking place. He . watched Elina and saw her accost persons in^ Victoria-street,- whereupon proceedings were instituted. The neighbors and Doran poured it In thickly, ■ and Bagley, J.P., took no heed of -time,- so that the- case hung out the whoie forenoon. At the conclusion of the evidence for the prosecution, Mr Hackett asked the Bench if he had a case to answer, as it had not been proved that the woman was the occupier of the house ; m fact, he said, Richards was the tenant, and he ' produced his rent-book to justify the statement. Then an extraordinary thins happened ; the Justices retired, and, on returning to Court, Baglev announced that they had decided that the case was ' proved, and a fine of £10 would be imposed, m default, two months' impris-. onment. Hackett (heatedly) : But your Worships have not heard my defence. I say tnis wbman is not the keeper of a house of ill-fame ; I was merely taking a preliminary objection that there was no case to answer. Bagley : And we ' decide that it is a brothel, and that accused is the keeper' of it. Hackett : Yes, j-our Worships have evidently done so, but you have not heard mv defence. She is a married woman and has been c6babiting with Richards and carrying on a boarding-house occupied by casual lodgers. Bagley : Well, we'll hear any evidence you may adduce. Richards was tlien put into the liox and said tat iie and accused had come from Wellington last October, Wat they

were living together, and that the pelice statements were entirely false. Elina did not solicit prostitution, neither did they use their house for such a purpose. "Irish Molly" was a boarder, and, when they were warned by the police of her character, they got rid of her. He denied indignantly that he was living on the proceeds of the woman's prostitution, and, though hard pressed by Sheehan, he told his story very well. Accused went into the box and denied the allegations, but m cross-examination was compelled to disclose her actual identity as well as her career. , Her prop|er name was Jessie Holt ; she was mari ried, but her husband had deserted her some years ago m Wellington ; she had been known as "Holt" and "Stewart," | but was now known a§ "Mrs Richards." She had never accosted a man m her li'*e. She and Richards would marry now if there were not a legal difficulty ; he kept her, and she had no need to do the things with which she was charged. She had served three months m Wellington for vagrancy ; she got drunk and walked into the Mt. Cook station and did not lind out where she was till she had been a fortnight m the Terrace Gaol. She had also been fined £2 or 7 days for theft, and had, m addition, been summoned for the maintenance of her child. She claimed to have worked hard as a' barmaid m the Market. Hotel aad other places, and, if allowed- to co. said she intended to 'return, to Wellington, where her uncle' occupied a high, municipal position. She admitted being warned by the police. She had not appeared the previous day because she was frightened of the Court, and, being worried, went out a*nd had a drink. The Bench found her guilt y and fined her £6 or a month, up to midday on Saturday being allowed for payment of the fine and costs £5 12s. The second charge (vagrancy) was dismissed. Elina Stewart gave herself up to the police on Saturday at 1 p.m., and has gone to gaol for a moon m default of payment, of £11 12s fine and costs.