A PLAGUE SPOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16285, 19 January 1915, Page 3

A PLAGUE SPOT

SUCCESSFUL POLICE PROCEEDINGS. A number of allied cases arising from disgraceful conduct at a house in South Dunedin occupied the time of the City Police Court yesterday afternoon. The magistrate (Mr E. W." Burton, S.M.) and Senior Sergeant Dart, for the police, had frequent occasion for strong comment on the disgusting scenes disclosed in the evidence. Tha promise exacted from the person principally concerned to leave Dunedin within 48 hours indicates thai tho police have succeeded in ending a serious nuisance.

Alexander Marshall, defended by Mr Irwin, pleaded not guilty to a charge oi supplying Sophia Scott with liquor, knowing her to be prohibited person.—Constables Wynne and Howard gave evidence as to following two figures on to Sophia Scott's premises, and finding accused in an outhouse with two bottles of beer.—Constable Howard said accused had admitted purchasing two bottles of beer at Stenhouce's hotel with Sophia_ Scott, and going home with her.---Mr Irwin 6aid defendant came of very respectful people who were ] only too anxious to do what they could for him. Arrangements had been made for him to go to more remunerative work in the country. He was fined £2, or in default, seven days' imprisonment. Sophia Scott appeared to answer two charges of procuring liquor in defiance of a prohibition order on December 25 from Bome person unknown, and on January 6 procuring liquor from Leonard Duguid and James Hickey—Mr Irwin appeared on Scott's behalf, and pleaded guilty to both charges.—Senior Sergeant Dart said that the defendant was running what was known as a one-woman brothel, very difficult to get at, because not recognised in the eyes of the law. Her house was the curse of .the locality. The South Dunedin police were receiving complaints almost daily, and it was necessary to send constables almost every night to the house. Sometimes eight or 10 men were there under the influence of liquor.—Mr Irwin said that Scott's two brothers, who were addicted to drink, had been living in the house, and they were largely to blame for the trouble.—Mr Burton'said it seemed to him that the woman was simply a mora! pest in the district. He felt inclined to inflict the extreme penalty so that imprisonmen might follow.—Mr Irwin said he had advised her to get away into the country and sell her house.—Senior Sergeant Dart, said that if she would promise to leave the'! town within 48 hours and not return for 12 months, the police would jump at the offer.—Scott agreed to those conditions, and was convicted. and ordered to come up for sentence when called on if ehe appeared in Dunedin within 12 months. James Hickey and Leonard Duguid were each charged with procuring liquor for Sophia Scott knowing her to bo a prohibited person.—Mr Cailan pleaded not guilty on Hickey's behalf, but Duguid was undefended. —Constable Havelock deposed that on looking through the window of Scott's house on the evening of January 6 he saw Sophia Scott lying in bed and James Hickey with her. They were singing "It's a long way to Tipperary," while Duguid, at the foot of the bed, played a mouth organ. They emptied a square bottlo produced by Duguid, and then persuaded him to go out for more. Witness intercepted him on his way back with bottles. Afterwards Mrs Hickey came along and had great difficulty in getting her son, who wa3 drunk, out of bed. Hickey was an outright drunkard—well-known.—Arthur Henry Wilson, residing next door to Sophia Scott, deposed to seeing Hickey trying to get in to Scott's house through the window on the 6th. He subsequently saw him receive two bottles of liquor through the window and then saw him drinking with SopWia Scott.—Mr Cailan submitted that the evidence led did not support the charge of procuring liquor. The whole proceedings were no doubt extremely unsavoury and discreditable to any young man, but some evidence that Hickey brought liquor to the house wan essential.—James Hickey gave evidence that he had been working all the past year at Waipori and at Ashley Gorge. He did not know that .Sophia Scott was prohibited. He had not been inside the house since the night referred to.—The Magistrate said Hickey had discharged the onus on him to show that he did not know the woman was prohibited, and the casewould be dismissed. Duguid, he said, had been assisting at a drunken orgie of a most disgusting character. He would be fined £5. and 7s costs, with the alternative of a month's imprisonment. Peter Greig was charged with assisting Sophia Scott to drink liquor on December

24. "It was explained by the police that Greig was Scott's brother and that he had disappeared since the summons was issued. Constable Wynne, in his evidence, said he had counted eight boitles of liquor on th" table in Scott's house, and there were 10 men in the room under the influence of liquor. Greig was drinking with his sister.T"he Magistrate said that a brother who assisted at orgies like that, and made his sister the principal participant in them, almost ceased to be worthy of the name of man. This case was simply scandalous. He would be fined £5, or in default a month's imprisonment.