Mrs. Brown of Bealey Street

NZ Truth, Issue 772, 21 August 1920, Page 5

Mrs. Brown of Bealey Street

— ♦ DID SHE KEEP A ROUGH HOUSE? A Protracted Case. (From "Truth's" Christchurch Rep.) Magistrate McCarthy was engaged for several days at Christchurch Magistrate's Court upon a case m which Jean Brown was charged with keeping an establishment forbidden' by the War Regulations. The case was heard within closed doors, the magistrate forbidding the publication of offensive details of the evidence, much of which was of "red-hot" order. t Evidence, at considerable length was given by Constables Packer and McLennan, who, since June 26, liad kept a vigilant eye on the carryingson at 124, Bealey-street, the house occupied by the defendant, and saw and heard things which pointed to the committing of improper acts both by the defendant and a daughter, aged 17 The defendant, who was divorced from her husband, had four daughters' living with her, together with a woman, ■named Margaret Newton, and, latrterly, another woman named Margaret Henderson and her -two daughters On Tuesday morning last, Magistrate McCarthy, m delivering judgment, said he had no hesitation m accepting the evidence of the police and the three reputable neighbors of Mrs. Brown. There was no doubt that defendant and. her two elder daughters had been immoral. The language of the defendant stamped her as a prostitute of the lowest type, and very little could be said m her favor m viey of her conduct towards her daughters. He ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon, on condition that her house was siibiect to the supervision of Sister liMith and. -Rev, Rule for two years.,