PRISON MATRON RETIRES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11507, 1 October 1915, Page 7

PRISON MATRON RETIRES.

THIRTY-TWO YEARS CONTINUOUS SERiICE. PRESENTATION TO MRS MAHER. Yesterday Mrs Ma,her, matron of tho Addington Prison for Females, laid down her keys of office, and retired into private life after thirty-two years of continuous sendee as a prison matron in Now Zealand. Her successor, Miss Crilkes, will tako up her duties to-day. Mrs Maher joined tho service m 1883, when she was appointed assistant matron at Addington Prison. Two vears later, in 1885, sho was promoted to bo inatrou of the Wellington prison. In 1893 she was transferred to Dunedin, as matron, arid in 1897 she was transferred to Auckland, On tho reopening of Addington Prison in 1913 she was appointed matron in charge, and has remained there till the present day. An "attempt made by a reporter yesterdav to draw Mrs Maher into reminiscences was quite unsuccessful. Slie snid sho had only once had custody of a prisoner sentenced to death, Minnie Dean, the baby farmer, who was committed to her charge at Dunedin, but who was hange<l at InvercargilL Other than that incident, Mrs Maher's official car-or, according, to her own account, has been one without adventure. Sho baa never been areaulied bv an unruly prisoner, find though she could doubtWw toll manv interesting stories of the prisoners committed to her charge, she* emulates tho male branch of the police service, and is "reticent." Yesterday Mrs Maher was presented with a handsome and well-equipped lady's dressing ease, the gift of member's of the staff at Addington. The presentation was made, by the gaoler, Mr Scnnlan, who referred to tho golden opinions Mrs Maher had won front every member of the prison staff during h<T two years' Roojani amongst them.