THE SISTERHOOD OF SHAME.

NZ Truth, Issue 276, 8 October 1910, Page 7

THE SISTERHOOD OF SHAME.

Rooting Out the Rogues and Riff-raff.

The Auckland guardians of law and order have recently been rounding up a rough lot of loose-livifng lovettes, and bailed them up before Magistrate Cutten earmarked with various Charges, ranging from vagrancy to keeping 'houses of ill-fame. The notorious "Black Ella, who has exploited most towns' m "God's Own Copntry" and has a whole array of aliases, was the first to face the music, under the name this time of Ernestina' EHa Regain. The police gave some hot evidence concerning the manner m which Ella conducted the comfoina'tion shop-house m Hobsonstreet. SQie ram tiie show with Alfrefd James jWarren, a convicted tMef, as her handy man. The shop used to be run as a fruit and vegetable- shop, but recently nuts and lollies decked the front window. Ella told the police it was hard luck being caught. They always picked on her-, because of her color (Ella was a stodgy fat lump, -with a dash of strong, black blood that gaive her a good . copper ;.c'onipl€xi ; b'|g:)v y ,S!bj'e''paid 30s a week rent li^itil recently,, when it had been bumped up to 35s a week. Delia Carl:ton,. wiho must have been good-look-ing^ an /her teens — and sire was 'not ■miore than a year or two out of them — was a fairly .recent recruit to the aw-ful life of shame, had beenwith "Black Ella" as a housemaid for. aibout three years— so she said. The accused Regan was put m the box by Lawyer Moiody and swore she only kept a shop a>nd let four furnished rooms. Shei found vegetables did not pay, so she' stocked lollies and cordials and did good business. Delia Carlfon was engaged as a housemaid, and never used the bouse for immoral purposes. Kitty Hopkins had only been a few times to her shop. She came to Auckland m April with; Warren and "Spider" Ellison. Sine: had been m the HobsomTStreet shop-. only about three months.- .... Tlw Court decided to declareßegan a rogue, and, vagabond, and fined her £20 for 'keeping, a ßouse of ill-fame. She was also convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon on the charge of vagrancy. Magistrate Cutten assured her that if she came back to : his (X»urt her path would be a thorny one. Warren was sent to prison for three months. Delia Carlton and Peter Harvey, mainly on account of tiheir too frequent association with the last two accused, were convicted as vagrants and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. Kate Gillies was the next to come under the flail of Sub-Inspector Hendry^ was charged with keeping a brothel at Parnell and having no visible means of support. The house was rai-deel by Cops. Donovan and Turner. Katie is a married woman living apart from toutoby, and had been before the Coiurt for neglecting her children. - Cop. Turner said he had lanown Katie for about ' two years. She was about the worst character about Pariiell. He had seen one ,of accused's' little girls .about the streets at night m rags. The children were m a neglected condition. Kate Gillies was convicted of keeping a brothel and with vagrancy and was sent to the Salvarmy Home for twelve months. Lucy Know, who, after some very hot. evidence came out against her, pleaided guilty and promised to reform if given a chance. Drink, she said, was the cause of her downfall. As Lucy had "been there before," [ she was also sent to the Salvarmy Home for a year. Mary O'Keefe, charged with assisting m the management of a brothel, was given the benefit of a doubt and the case against her was dismissed. Florri'e Scott got one month's hard labor for importuning m the street. Richard Crispe, a silly-looking young jackanap e, w(ho said he had come to town from the country to enjoy himself, was charged with assisting; Florrie m the comimission of her offence. He said he got a bit tight and fell m with two mates, who led him into temptation. These two mates turned out to be two coppers m plain clobber. After a warming from Magistrate Cutten to mend his ways, Crispe was discharged.