LIVING WITH CHINESE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 23, 28 January 1938, Page 8

LIVING WITH CHINESE

White Women Near Nelson POLICE BRING CHARGE MAGISTRATE RESERVES DECISION I Per Association. ] NELSON, Jan. 27. Two women who recently came to Nelson by air under arrangements to live as mistresses with Chinese at Stoke and Richmond respectively were before Mr. T. E. Maunsell, S.M., charged with being persons without visible lawful means of support, rhe magistrate reserved his decision until to-morrow. The women will remain in custody meantime. Detective J. McLeod conducted the case for the police and Mr. J. R. Kerr appeared for accused. Detective McLeod stated that Pat Lee, alias Elsie Evelyn Wright, domestic, aged 28 years, and Olga Corkran, alias Leta May Clayton and Margaret Edna Lewis, domestic, aged 25 years, arrived at Nelson on January 13 in company with a Chinaman. Since then they had been living with Stoke and Richmond respectively. On account of complrints Constable J. M. Bourke visited the houses and later, with Detective F. Hayhurst, arrested the two women.

Constable Bourke stated that he went to the market garden of Hop Chong at Stoke, on January 18. In the kitchen was Corkran, who said she was on holiday. Witness gave her a warning that it would be better for her to leave the district and she said she would do 'so as soon as she could get in touch with her companion, Pal Lee. However, she said she was

“having a good lime” and did not want to -o. On January 25 he ana Detective Hayhurst went to the gar dens and accused, Corkran, was in a double bed with her own and a man s clothing in the room. Corkran said the Chinaman was keeping her. Go ing to the house of Ye King at Richmond the police found Lee who, in answer to a question as to her means of livelihood, said she would tell the Court.

To Mr. Kerr, the constable said he learned that accused was staying at the Chinamans house. He saw Lee only at Ye King’s place at Richmond.

The constable said the women were not on the street. They were in Chinamen’s houses when arrested. Lee had £3 or £4. If she had been living with a white man he would have arrested her in similar circumstances. He could not say Lee lived with Ye King. Both had about the same amount of money.

Detective Hayhurst said he accompanied Constable Bourke to Stoke and tound Corkran in bed and she said the Chinaman Ah Kim was keeping her. Lee, in answer to a question regarding her means of living, said she would i ell the Court. In her possession was found a list of addresses of Chinamen and eight photographs of the two women with Chinese. To Mr. Kerr, the detective said both had money .

Mr. Kerr said there were no doubt unsavoury features in the case but hk contended that, dealing /;ith the law part of it, the evidence was insufficient io show that the constable had reasonable cause to believe the women did not have lawful means of support. It was undesirable living, he agreed, but it was his duty contest if the actions were lawful. The magistrate commented that a woman was the custodian of her own body so long as she was not a nuisance to the public.

Pat Lee, in evidence said she was living with Ye King as his mistress at Stoke. She had a home and everything else she wanted. The £3 12s 6d she had when arrested was given by Ye King. To Detective McLeod, she said that when in Wellington she lived in Taranaki Street with Chinese. She iad been associated with Chinese since 1932 and had been to a Haining Street house for tea with friends. She was married to a Chinaman in 1932 but divorced him. With her companion ;he had been in several Nelson hotels, and at one they had been refused drink.

Ye King said Lee had arranged to live with him.

The magistrate and counsel then had a discussion on the differences between mistress and prostitute, Mr. Maunsell remarking that he did not know where the line between the two was to be drawn. Olga Corkran said she had been before the Court before. She was living at Ye King’s gardens. She met him at Wellington at Christma~ and made arrangements to come to Nelson to live with him. Ye King gave here her money. She had a Lome with him and had arranged to slay. The magistrate .-aid he would restrve his decision until to-morrow •rorning. It was net for him to be concerned with m cals but with the law, and ne han to decide if accused had visible lawful means of support or not.