MARGARET TO MOVE ON

NZ Truth, Issue 1127, 7 July 1927, Page 3

MARGARET TO MOVE ON

Merry Widow of Well^ley Street Seeks Pastures New, ■ ' ' '- V v

i^ESES^ ulllm.lum.npa b| "'"('"""""""iiiniiiMiiiiiiiiiiminiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmniiiiHiiimhiiriiiiiiimmiißitmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiir iiniiii|iiiiiiiiiiimiuii mmmiMiittimiiiiiiiiiiiiiniimiiiiiiiiiiiiimigi || (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) V If || "^HERE shall I turn?" the ' ■Wtetch exclaimed, "Where"' If |i hide my shameful heacl? : - f§s || "How fly from scorn or h bw. contrive to earn my daily Si || •■ bread l'^-Lewis. ': -.. - • , . |l

!j f%llll1llftl)tl1HII1lt1lltllllttMIMII1lllflllltllllll|l1ll1ltnitllllllllllllll1llltinMIHMIttllllllll1lllllllll]11IIMIl B^iiiiiiimMitiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiinittiiiimiiiiiiuniiiiimiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiitiiriii|ininiiniiiMuni UjiIARGAKET HO-QD!" called the IVI clerk "of the Auckland vPolice Court last week* and an attractive widow of 40 summers stepped into the box to answer a charge of conducting a house of ill-fame* 1 . • Fashionably dressed, m a costume of [royal blue and furs, with blonde curls I coyly peeping out from either side of her peaked hat, Mrs. -Hood resolutely faced the stigma of her profession. """ Although, rso far as Is known, she unconventionally omitted ,to keep a visitor's book at her residence m Wellesley Street, Sub-Inspector Lewin was able to submit a list of callers on certain dates. . The sub-inspector does not make a hobby of attending to these little breaches of social etiquette; but on this: occasion complaints !

from other quarters brought the case within the scope of his duties. It was a Friday and household duties for the week had been completed'; the wringer and ironing-board were stowed away, and Margaret Hood was, able to devote the whole of her attention to her guests. ' No fewer than 15 men and four women lifted the knocker on that day. . ._ . This led to 1 the police becom•ing inquisitive,', until they themselves decided to visit the house. But it was m the form of a raid. ' They immediately reciprocated by inviting Mrs. Hood and' her companion: along to the police station ; later, the V pair appeared m Court charged with conducting a house of 'ill-fame. They were remanded, Hood . being allowed bail. : . To the credit of the hostess be it said that her house was found — m the words of one of the police l officers— to be "spotlessly clean." * Spots there were, but under glass: — 46 small bottles of stout, seven- bottles of beer and one of whisky. ' '„ • In the case of the younger woman, Eileen Marmont, the police stated that on a previous conviction the woman had been ordered ; to leave Auckland for a period of twelve months, but she hadt curtailed her vacation m the country and returned to the city, throwing m her lot with Mrs, Hood; ' Eileen pleaded guilty and will now spend two quiet months m the seclusion of Mt. Eden. Lawyer Singer, who appeared for Mrs. Hood, went to some length m explaining how his client came to have a sum of £465 to her credit m the bank. Counsel declared that a wrong 'analysis had been placed on the solvency of his client's banking account. She had",, two children m a receiving home, and ill-fortune had stalked abroad, ever since i-the arrival-^S|6me 'years : agb'-Srb'f .Mrs. ' Hood and' her husband -from England. ■ "They were, both of good parentage and education, but bad luck had shrouded their home ,and there had 1 been seven operations m the 'family during the course of the last eleven months, Mrs. Hood' herself being the victim of three. ' She; had been bereft of her husband about four months ago, when he left her 4100. ~ Another - ? £286 was derived from relief funds from the tramways body, her husband having been employed as al conductor. This, counsel, contended, mitigated the assertion that the money had accumulated by illicit means. ! His client was anxious to leave' New Zealand if only the S.M. could see fit to give her the

opportunity. il!!!!!!!!™!!"! For the prosecution, the subinspector pointed out that accused was receivingr a widow's monthly pension of £4 6s. Bd. Her rent for the house was 355. per week. "She cannot be said to be destitute, and there is no excuse for her resorting to this means of livelihood," said Magistrate McKean. - .But further stress was brought t«? bear upon' the prosecution when the sub- inspector stated that Mrs. Hood had continued to carry on the house ,a.urtng her week's remand. ■ / A resident of Wellesley Street was m Court prepared to give evidence that such was the case. : . The witness, a woman, stated that she could see, arid hear from her own place the numerous callers to the house of Hood. Taxis stopped" outside at all hours, and she had seen men entering: the dwelling. Some' of them she had $een leaving the place at nine o'clock m the morning. ' Her Farewell Appearance At this stage Lawyer Singer held-, a brief conference with his, client before asking the witness if it were not true that she held a grudge against the accused and whether witness^ .had not scornfully remarked to Mrs. Hood: "I've got/you now., v That's the stuff to • give them!" ■ ■'/ '.- , 1' ; It was admitted by witness /that, she had made 'a -remark about "that's the stuff to give 'em," because Hood had once; accused her of kicking another woman m the face. , "The place is an annoyance to you

iiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimniiiiniiniuuniiiiiiiniiiiiniuintiiiiniunmiiiiiiiiiiriHiiiiiiiiniimiiiniiinnn^i iiiiciiinjuiiiciuniiiiiiiui|iiiinciHiiicicciiiiicniimiiuiminimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiiimiimtimmiiuiiuus and the neighborhood," suggested the sub-inspector. '.'.-. ' ' "Yea,, there was a terrible rumI • pus there the other night until two m the morning," agreed, witness. , Mrs. Hood was remanded m custody over the week-end^ and appeared again on the, Monday morning as trim as though she had just motored down fromfcthe best hotel hi town; It. was Certainly a motor vehicle that had brought Margaret to ' Court — the police van, , '■■./. 1 A tidy little . crowd. — mostly menhad gathered to fitness her dainty little tootsies step down from the van. i Mrs. Hood was; ordered to leave the country or come up for sentence m a fortnight. The bhildren will be cared for by the Salvation Army.