TWO MERRY MAIDENS

NZ Truth, Issue 507, 6 March 1915, Page 5

TWO MERRY MAIDENS

GET HOLD Of HIDDEN HOOT AND DO A HIKE FLING FUNDS AROUND FOR FANCY FALDERALS Joy Rides and Race Jaunts Fnd m the Jug Plead " Guilty " and are Sent up (or Sentence

Two demure 'looking damsels named i respectively Dorothy Scoullur (whose label was previously shown as Dorothy Souter), and Lesley Reid, were charged I at the S.M's Court, Wellington, on March 3, with the theft of 141 Jim. plus Aye bob, from room No. 33, of the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel. Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.. held the scales of justice and, when Lesley and Dorrle were put ln on one of the pans and a crowd of witnesses for the prosecution on the other, up went Les and Dorrie and banged the beam. It may be remembered that the two young prepossessing ladies m question w^nt to. the Duke on the night of February 16 and asked the nurse girl m charge of Mrs. Thompson's baby if they could see Mrs. Thompson. The little girl replied that the Thompsons were at the theatre and would not be home until 10 o'clock. Then Miss Reid askedthe girl to show her to another part of the nouse, which she did, and stayed with her until the : baby began to cry, when she returned to her charge the young peach requested her to tell Mrs. Thompson that Miss Reid had called and "would call again to-morrow." The following day the Thompsons discovered that their BOODLE HAD BLOWN OUT. Detective Michael Mason and acting ' 'Tec. Trieklebank got their noses on the scent. They discovered that two young things, ono of whom answered the description given of the young lady caller of the 16th, had gone off towards Palmerston m a odor-car. By means of wires and tyres which Dorrie and Les had not taken into consideration, the 'tecs were soon hot on the trail. It was ascertained that the buzz-box with the fleeing females aboard had gone crook at Porirua, where lots of crook people congregate. The temporary Vanderbllts had repaired to the hotel while their petrol car was being repaired. Then the departing damsels.

bestowed themselves on to Woodville and Palmerston, and attended tho races In queenly state. Les and Dorrie made somo purchases while on their journeylngs, half filling the stench-cart with feminine lingerie and other things Intended to paint the lily. Just about this juncture that exasperating fellow, 'Tec Mason curtailed the balance of the holiday by ordering a retreat, and Dorrie and Les, after briefly dreaming of the life of a dutchess, with all Its sparkle and champagne, suddenly found their movements restricted. For the flrst time, probably

In their lives, they knew what the loss of such liberty meant. No doubt they recognised this last moro thati ever when they occupied the prisoner's box ami bowed to Beak Riddell. A more wretched pair of .females It would be hard to conceive. Dorrie looked the last thing In despair and gave the unwashed an excellent view of the lack of her hat; while poor 1.-m appeared as if she expected thai the l-ast that would happen to her would be v Hogging before being flayed alive.

She looked like one who had given up all hope m this world and the next. If the state of misery these two tearsodden, silly damsels presented is any indication of their feelings,, then they have already suffered ten times more than the worth of the money they wasted. 'Tec Boddam marshalled up his forces and called James Cunningham Thompson. James, who with his wife, forms the principal part of that BrennanFuller Combination known as "The Sohos," announced that he was the husband of Kitty Thompson, at present on circuit wit!) the Brennan-Fuller people. For the fortnight ending, February 20, they were staying at the "Dook" and occupied room No. 33, upstairs. On Monday, February 20, he received 120 golden googies, and like n dutiful hubby, gave 30 quid to Kitty to do what she liked with. Kitty put them In her purse along with some moro hoot of her own. In the wad there were cither five or six Bank of New Zealand notes, about 20 jim m soys. and half-nickers, and £25 or £30 m Australian Commonwealth flimsies, m all, about 85 quid m Kitty's purse. He placed his purse m a hamper m his room. On the morning of February 17, it was discovered that both purses had done a "get." He roughed up the account to be about £141 and five roberto. He rung up the 'Tec Department and told what hod occurred. Here, he Incidentally mentioned, that the proposition of finding somebody to look after one's child because you can't look after it yourself is like looking for a needle ln a hay-stack — very hard to find. The Thompson baby had had five different nursemaids since its introduction to the "Dook," and Dorrie had been one of thorn. She handed m her resignation at half-past two on the afternoon of February 16. On the night of the magic purse act, baby wns looked

after by the nurse-girl of the licensee of tho "Dook." Kathloen Josephine Sullivan said that she was caretaker of the Infant Thompson on the night of the dissolving dollars, and remembered the visit of the two young ladies, tho two who were now washing hankies m the prisoner's box. Kitty was minding Babs when the female Sykes arrived and inquired for Mrs. Soho. Mrs. Soho was not to be seen oh, as she was at the play-oh. So the handsomest of the * TWO NOW DISMAL DAMSELS asked to bo taken to a certain part of the house and here she talked to Los, and Les talked to Kitty, and Les told Kitty that she lived m Tasman-street, and Kitty (presumably) told Les of the duck of a hat she was going to get at Ragman's annual sale, which is held every third day, and finished up by spying sho would call again at 10 o'clock next day. Unfortunately, lady Lesley had a motoring engagement the next day and was unable to leave her card with Kitty. Esther Annie Tlmmins, was the next witness, a statuesque young lady with very pleasing features, but had very little to say to add to the distress of the duo of drooping damsels m the box. 'Tec. Hoddam led the witness gently on the way, and elicited the fact that she had seen two pieces of skirt floating up the stairway, but could not Identify the two penitent looking statues of sorrow opposite as being the goods wanted. Charles Young, taxi-man, said that the two accused came to him and asked how much would It be for a car to take them to Carterton? Subsequently and womanlike, they changed their minds. How much would a run to Palmerston North run to? On being told that It would be a tenner, they decided they would go, as v sort of "dlv." thoy parted up an extra couple of Jim for "weln," for Mr. Young. They probably had an Idea all chauffeurs are nourished on champagne. They paid him In sovereigns. They asked him how much a trip to the Queen City would run Into, and on being told that it would be too much for their bank to stand, without bracing, they said that a trifle of that kind wouldn't stick them, They had done well at the races and could stand a few monkeys lifted out of their bank balance. However, he didn't tell them how much. Demon Michael Mason put In next spoke aud told how on February 17 he questioned taxi-man Young re the boodle with which Dorrie and Les paid for their trip. Young produced certain golden googles, which corresponded With the lucre lost by the "Hobos." Mr. Yoiidk marked the coins at his request.' On the l!Uh, when the two accused arrived at Wellington police station. 'Tecs Mason ami Trieklebank put them through the mill, and arranged thu delicate operation of searching the sblel.-rs. They then told the lees that they would nuilie a clean bosom of the whole affair, and hand back ihc balance which had not been expended on petrol and lingerie. The -tecs warned them that they were not bound tv say a word, but they were determined to Cortlll IT ALL IT. Dorrie. on being assayed panned out ijis His ."id. Les must have had tin extra hat or pair of openworks. She registered ;u £:> t's 3d. which shows that she had some idea of veonomy.

They also said that another divvy could be recovered from a trunk left m Palmerston. This, on being declared, turned out a tenner m singles. When claimed by the John Hop department, they had five new boxes containing glad rags and pretty goods, the daintiness of which are seldom discovered except m the sacredness of the feminine boudir. The police are now guarding these sacred vestments. Dorrie said she was very sorry for nicking the Sohos' nickers, and she didn't know what possessed her to possess herself of the putrid pelf. She had discovered where the money was while m Mrs. Thompson employ. She reckoned that it was only on meeting little Les, and telling her all about it, that they had arranged the plan which they so boldly consummated. They arranged to take the nurse girl away from the gonce. They didn't count it, but they

reckoned that there was a trifle of 140 quid.- They handed m £53 13s Bd. Tommy Wilford: What was the £53 13s 8d? ' 'Tec Mason: lt was cash. 'Tec Mason, continuing, said that -by a computation made up by poor Dorrie, they seemed to have spent the Soho stuff to the tune of £87 8s 3d, but, by' a subsequent audit, it panned out at £98 9s Bd. Some of the "costooms" were left at a Palmerston; North ragstabbery for attention, not being quite the style which little. Lesley and the demure Dorrie affected. In answer to Lawyer Wilford, the 'tec said that all the boxes contained blushful lingerie — all new goods and ticketed — such as-er-wjramln folk are fond of. Lawyer wilford: Any four guinea hats?— Yes, four. Then how muoh is still unaccounted for? — In goods and money about 18 pounds' worth. The soys. got from Mr. Young were the identical ones, paid to him. They were. marked. ■' Can I see them? — Yes, here they are. Did you get a full confession from the girls? — Yes, I got the fullest and freest confession from them, and I have verified their story to the smallest detail, and. And it is true. .- ■■ ■■'/ Lawyer Wilford (to the bench): The young ladies here say that they have made a full confession, and that they were duly examined. May I ask your Worship, as I am now acting as much m the interests of Mr. Thompson' as m the' 'lnterests 'of 'the' accuseds, that an order be made empowering RESTITUTION OF THE GOODS -AND MONEY ' found on them to the rightful owners. Mr. Thompson is shortly leaving for Australia, and it will not be convenient for 'him to attend the Supreme Court. Is is quite possible that a lot of goods on hand may be still sold at a profit, but that was a matter for the Supreme Court. The tear-stained damsels were then held up for Inspection, and the fearful charge read to them. -, Dorrie: Guilty, and-I-l'm-verry-sor-ry-for-what I've done. Lesley: Ditto. Both accused were committed to the next sitting of the Supreme Court for sentence, ball being allowed each m £50 and one surety of £7u. There is one moral m this story: Never bank m a dressbnsket. It is safer m a safe.