THE GRACELESS GRACE.

NZ Truth, Issue 473, 11 July 1914, Page 5

THE GRACELESS GRACE.

" JOY-RIDE J? HEROINE'S MOTHER'S MORALS. — r — . ■ i MALE " fRIENPS" rOUND ON THE PREMISES ESCAPE SCOT FREf 1 ■ ■ ' "■ ■ (From '^Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) A

Grace Ma.ns.on, mother of the giddy girl who was. thg heroine of the lurid joy-ride on a recent Sunda^ and Mary A tin McKenzie, Grace's graceless, sis-' ter arid, r incidentally, the girl's "auntie," occupied the dock m. the Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, on Friday, before Alphabetical Bailey, S.M\ "' "^ . ' ' ' ' Mary Ann, a tall, not uncomely female, was charged with keeping a brothel it , Hawdon-street,. Sydenham, between ■June l 4 and 27. Eter sister Grace" was asked to explain why she assisted m the management of *the same. Subrlnspector McKinnon sought to smash up' the resort, and Lawyer Frank Johnstone, on behalf of the lydies, who pleaded not guilty, endeavored to prove that the Hawdonstreet house was anything but a "popular" bad house. Lawyer Johnstone said that one of the ladies m the dock was connected with the joy-ride case and had already decided to retire from business m Christchurch, Neither of the women had been m Court before and even if found guilty, a light penalty would meet the case, although he suggested that the police withdraw the information on condition that the ladies, did the aeroplane act within three days. . ' The - Sub-Inspectpr said he hadn't the slightest. intentlQi* of withdrawing the case. It had been a bad case right through, the women ' haying flitted from house to house, talcing on the business quietly a.t each place until THINGS WERE MADE TOO WARM for them. If they cleared put* of Christchurch ti^ey would only open up „ again a^/wrhatevcur to^ri they hit Sergti' Davy Jackson, said that on June 14 he .visited Mary Ann's house m Howden-stfeet. She admitted that she was the occupier of the, house; but reckoned that the place didn't suit her and she was going to get out of it. Mary admitted that her sister was m the house With her, but despite Davy's serenade she wpuldn/£ come out and talk to him. The following day the sergeant' again visited the house m connection jrith th^e,, £oy fide pase. Working on his Knqwled|fe. that Grape Manson's daughter had spent the previous night m the lock up, he asked Gra.ce where the girl was an.d got the reply that she stayed with friends overnight. On 16 he/vi§ite<J ttje house and heard a" inaii's voice m the bedroom. Mrs. Manson, when questioned' concerning the identity pf the man whp had taken her daughter to Kaiapol on Sunday,. remained as close as a water-tight . compartment. Davy next introduced himself on the night of June 25. : Mary Ann and Grape vf ere m the house; yin company with three men :• i^^e^ , McKen.zie and Camprpni Wllilanis antl Cameron gaid they had just ' and' McKenzie ' intimated * thai vhe and , Mary Ann had known one. another m Wellington, Two nijrHts , later ,tbje sergeant paid another call > and.' lookingthrough the windows saw a triwi named Johnson m bed m one room and | Williams ditto " in' , another, Prom Juno 14 to 17, Mrs. , MpKenzle's daughter was also on the premises, "Th,ese women," said the sergeant, "are well known and reputed' prostitutes." Lawyer Johnstone strenuously objected to 'the use of the term "reputed" prostitutes.' , Facts we/c -wan.teg, he said, not reputations. Cross-questioned, Sergt. Jackson ,. denied. that early on the morning of June 27 he went to Mrs. Matron's bed-

room window and, opening it, asked her if she had anyone with her. He paid- there was a. man m the room when he got to the* window, but he (the man) went to the back room as soon as witness; revealed himself. Continuing,' witness, said the man. Williams was a nephew of one of the women, but his mother had been try-; ing: to get him away from the place. The man Johnson had told Sergt. Jackson that he stayed m the house to try and break it up, because he; thought it wasn't a fit place for young,' folk, and he was concerned about what, the police would do if they found out about the place. Lawyer Johnstone remarked that the witness had shown, nothing ex--cept that on one night he found three men in' the hous,e. ■'..<. Constable Williams stated on one occasion, when witness was m. plain' clothes, he yarned with one of the>t two men found m the house, who intimated that the Hawdon-street house was . THE WORST HOUSE IN . christchurch;. Constable A,; EL Williams reckonedthat eighteen months ago he took partin a police raid on the premises of. Mary Ann McKenzie. On that occa-: sion two men bolted ffcom the house' minus part of their clobber, disappearing over the back fence. Mrs. l#cKenzla came out m her nightie to see^ what all the bother was about. ' Lawyer Johnstone commented on ttfe fact that, although the police appeared to have known all this eighteen tnonths ago^ they took no steps m the matter until now. If they had known, as much eighteen months ago as they* knew torday it was passing strange that they had not taken any notice. ■ Sergeant Glarkson's knowledge, of, Mary Ann's gaiety was limited to. twelve months, although ho made up some leeway haying seen a man, m bed with Mary Anr^ . : Cppper Smythe, detailed the circumstances under which Mrs. McKenzie had conducted her Durham-street resP dence. Witness had often seen that lady accosting men and taking them to her house tfnd into her boudoir. Sometimes thej clients were so numeroug that they had to wait their turns In the dining-room. Lawyer Johhgtone again commented on the fact that although the constable saw th\», the wotaan had not been prosecuted. The doings at another house m Chester-street were outlined by Serr geant Qulnn, who had seen a cab uull up at McK^nzie's house and empty out a man who went into the house and did NOT EMERGE UNTIL MORNING, : John. Etop O'Dee taiked abou,t some djjcJ4edly ujtramarine doings he had seen at a house occupied by Mary Ann McKenzie Jn Eaton Place. Cop. Black grave similar evidence. -„ - Th,a ?, rest of the local 'foorce" were on duty an<f| the S.M., m answer to ilje Sub's insinuations that he could bring mpre witnesses, reckoned they were nqt necessary. Lawyer Johnstone claimed that tho greater part of the evidence heard Was inadmissible. The police cose depended entirely on what happened between. June 14 and 37, and evidence which bore on the defendant's, acts previous to {.hose dates had nothing to do with tho present case. It had only been proved that between tho dates, on which the case rested, the defendant's had occupied a house where Johnson boardefl and the nephew Williams stayed. On only one other occasion had men been found on tho promises, and even then one of thorn had been acquainted with Mrs. Mclvenzle for years. It was submitted that this evidence could not constitute tho place a brothel and that being so, the charges against the woman had no foundation on which to convict, although it might be enough to arouse suspicion. The S.M. took a different view and convicted both defendants, and ordered them to come up for sentence when called upon, it being understood that if they left the town they would not be called upon. After Mary Ann and Grnco werp disposed of, Henry Johnson and Albert Voss Williams wcro shooed m the dock and charged with being found m a house occupied by prostitutes at Hawdon-street, Sydenham, on June 27, Both men admitted being on tho premises, but denied that the place was OCCUPIED BY PROSTITUTES. Johnson giving evidence on his own hook, said he was boarding with Mrs. McKenxlo. 'Ho had been working- m the mines on tho Went Coast and only recently camo :to ChrJstchurch. Ho had been staying at the People's Palace, but meeting Mrs. McKenzie, who said her husband was In the hospital, h,e agreed to board with her for a week. Cross-examined, he wild ho was not aware that the plucc was a brotht'l. Ho was paying Mrs. McKenzle 30/- v vyoek for his bourd and reckoned it ■was worth the money. He denied having told iho John Hops thut the place waa a brothel. Witness' main object In going to the place was to keep Mrs. MeKenzlo straight. Tho Sub.: Then you knew that »ho wanted keeping Htrulß-htT—No. but 1 know sbo had to live and LOTS OF WOMEN GO WRONG when thcro Js nobody to nupport them. Did you think Mrs. McKenzie would go wrong?—Oh, no! but 1 thought she mlKht, If men came to tho house. Whai would you" have dono If a mnn camo to tho house?—l'd knock him down. What money did you have when you wero arrested?— Only 10/-, 1 think. But you mu«t remember that my watch, which you've got m the police station, cotit mo £65 a fow days before. Sijcty»(lve pounds? — You, I bought 11 from Din and Co,, and can show you tho receipt. It was admitted thut Wllllums was In the house as a nephew of one of tho women. Tho S,M. remarking that the soatlon under which t\\c Police Offences Act was framed, aimed at a. different dajta of men altogether, dismissed tho two charges.