THE CRUSADE

NZ Truth, Issue 569, 13 May 1916, Page 3

THE CRUSADE

WHY WOMEN GO WRONG

MAGISTRATE COOPER'S CONCLUSION

A Disreputable Den at Kilbirnie /

"The Crusade" has received a little attention 'from the police during, the last week or so and has revealed some | startling conditions, some of which I would be a disgrace to the lowest i slums of Sydney or old New York. | On week a demure-looking young lady named Kathleen Grey was charged, with being- "one of those," j and xriih. having , carried on her in-. | famous calling at No. 61 Taranaki-st. Police evidence was adduced which showed conclusively that the demure young miss was all that she was accredited with. On one occasion the police had to be brought to the house of a Chinaman, who resided next door TO HER DEMURENESS, and so loud did 'the "Johns" knock that "Kathie" thought that the summons was at her own door and came to the gate m her dream suit, much to the modest^ amazement of the "Johnop." She was not alone. A gentleman m a similar state of undress was with her. For the defence, Mr. O'Leary contended that his client was not one of the worst. She was a sober and <itea.tt y<j«ing glrt^-Just the ideal of what the advocates of supervision j would recommeiid. She had been unfortunate m that she had a child to support. It was m the "Home" and she had been so threatened with proceedings which she thought would terminate m gaol for her that she took to the life she had started aa a means of keeping the wolf out : of .the house and herself out of gaol. / The Inspector (Mr. Hendrey) admitted that the ideal "pro." had a load to bear m the direction indicated and told Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., "We are pursuing these cases where we can get evidence and we intend to turn our attention to the owners of the houses, shortly." Mr. Cooper: I am of the opinion that women often carry on a life of this kind In order to keep their illegitimate offspring and with the fear that if they do not that . THEY WILL GET INTO GAOL. His Worship considered the evidence quite sufficient to warrant a conviction and ordered the young lady to pay £5 and 9s costs as a penalty for obtaining the means of sustenance for her child by the oldest trade or profession ever known to mankind, HIDEdUS HOWE. A Chow and the Courtesans. On Monday another phase of "The Crusade" was brought to the light of day at the Magistrate's Court, before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., when a mongrel "Mong" named How Lee, alias George Howe, was charged v»'ith keepIng a brothel. With him were ranged three ladles (?) named Martha Courtney, Annie Courtney and Annie Geary, who were charged with consorting and helping In the management or tho mongrel's house of infamy. They all pleaded not guilty, at first, but altered the plea later. >•' The 'prosecution was In the hands of Inspector Hendrey and Mr. H. IP. O'Leary appeared for the representatives of sin. Thomas Henry Price, police constable m charge at Kilblrnie, said that he knew the* accused Howe and ho.w he got his living, which was by keeping a brothel at Moxham-avenue.. He carried on an alleged business as a market gardener, but THE FRUITS OF HIS LABOR were derived from quite another source. He had kept watch on the den and had seen Mary Irene Williams, a prohibited person, Annie Geary, Maggie Dobson (or Mcßandall), Kathleen von Kant (or Melville), otherwise known as, the Queen of Halning-street; and others there. He had taken observations on the 4th, 9th and 10th of December last. The ladies were mostly under the influence of liquor. Ho bad also seen a woman named Emily Johnston there, and there were others wtyo ore supposed to be carrying on the hash carrying business m the city. On tho

10th he had seen the .woman Geary and Johnston drinking m the "Chow's" kitchen with three "Mongs." On April 19, last he had seen a "Chow" and a white woman enter the smellful premises. The woman was a stranger to him. They were there for some time. As a result of a complaint from the proprietor of the bagnio he had bagged the two Courtneys and Annie Geary. The complaint was to the effect that the two sisters had refused to pay him for their board and had hopped out after him WITH A MEAT CHOPPER. Unfortunately they did not seem to have copped him. He took a statement from each of the accused and they all (the "Mong" included) signed their "death warrants." The statement of the "girls" were to the effect that the two sisters met another saffron-skin-ned son of Confucius and , that he brought the two fair ones up from Chrlstchurch. . In reply to Mr. O'Leary, he said that he knew that George did not get his living by the sale of the succulent leetuc-ee and cabag-ee. His business w?vs that of » brothel -Keeper. He knew most of the visiting customers. They

were Wellington ''Chows." Geary had been living with him for the last three years. Constable Herbert Smith corroborated. Martha Courtney corroborated a good deal by her statement made at the police station, at Kilbirnie. She had been there a week or so only when she had been arrested. She and her sister ■went there of their own free will. She had never done anything .wrong nor had she seen wrong-doings there. It was true that she had pleaded guilty to a charge of keeping a brothel. "I only stayed there," said Martha. The Inspector: But you signed a statement. Is that statement true?— Yes, I signed a statement. Continuing, witness said that she and her sister came from ' Timaru (not Chrlstcnurch) with a Chinese idol, who had since gone back to the Flowery Land. A further part of the statement was then put m, and showed that Phylls Doreen, Maggie Mcßandall, Kitty Got and others used to bring "Mongs" there for Immoral purposes. On one occasion Louie Kee, of Courtenay-place, brought a young girl from Petone. Loulo *Kee had chased Martha outside and knocked her down m the road. / In answer to Mr. O'Leary, Martha said that she was still waiting to get her father's consent to her ALLIANCE IN HOLY( ?) MATRIMONY with the absent "Mong." Her pa seemed reticent about accepting a "Chink" as a son-in-law, and she was still waiting. Martha did not seem to follow Mr. O'Leary'fi obvious leads, and would not ndmlt that she had been previously convicted of consorting with Ohoww, She had not had a row with Goons© Howe. It was with Louie Kee. of Courtenayplace, and sho "had not made tho dishes fly." She had used her Hats only. "I couldn't do much with n man, could I, your Worship?" asked Marlhu* Anfilo Courtney practically corroborated tho evidence of lu»r »U»ter, and *<ho said that they had pnltl tho Chow with | the Regal uamc £2 4s for their board while there, They had most of their meals In town, like "lofTs." In answer to Mr. O'Leary oho Bald that Hho "didn't know" to such quea- J tions on "This is a new export enno to i you?" "You uro generally on the othor ? side— not giving ©vMvnco for Urn po- j lice," etc. Mr. Rlddell said that h« thought that , there was ample evidence to convict,! and it went to show that the house had , been kept for tho purposo described. "Seeing that Hie defendant la jrlvlng- no j evidence himself, the evidence nt tho.; police remains unchallenged. Dofen- < dant must be convicted," mvltf his Worship. There is a LONG LINST OP PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS against Howe; live for brothei -keeping I and for other offences. Ho has aervad ono sentence, at least, of two yearn for ; Die sumo' offence. He was sentenced to , aix monthH* imprisonment with hard ' labor on tho major charge, and to three ! momhs on tho minor one (consorting), ; sentences to bo concurrent. i Annio Geary was then put on and ; charged with being "» Me and disorderly person, and with tuwumnfr' m iho ; management of a fcroihel. Her great ; ' failing eeemed lo be a keen desire for ; j InKurßinuion. and the two previous : convlcilon» wcordca against her wore i for drunkenness only. I J Mr. Rltlik'll, S.M.: Bh© has tvldontly

j bc«tn dominated by her partner. Howe, } but, as who i» now no longer likely to bo | dominated by him. I shall convict her | and order her to come up for wentonco i on tho major charge. j Tho Inspector: She Is practically ! homeless und may bo forced into tho i Murno ohiinncl again. On hearing this, his Worship dealt out SIX MONTHS TO ANNIE. Mr. O'Lcary asked thai the sentence i bo altered to somtithlni? e)s«, and Annlo received nine, us ajjjifnst CloorKJ«'a Hix. • This would obvlutc the pair coining out , tosrother. ' Tho girl Mnrtha Courtney had put In ! Hora« tlmo m a. inontul hospital, and «he i n»ekonod that sho had tried to po i scmlKht »ln«o ahc ciune out. Bho did ; not say thut sho luul jjono »tmli;lu to a ; Chow's brothel. Takintr this Into eon- ; fildenuion and tho fact that «he and ; Annlo lmd been l.'Ui^ulahinff In jug for I throe weeks (to «ay nothing of thoir ; havinp acted «ml usytlated the police, and having tlum helped to land thu I Chow), iho B,M. handed thorn out another "thr<K> wuelur."