Post by nzbc on Apr 10, 2016 19:29:02 GMT 12
CHINESE BROTHELS IN WELLINGTON.
HORRIBLE EXAMPLES OF JUVENILE DEPT SCENE IN THE MAGISTRATE'S COURT.
(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)
WELLINGTON, this day.
In the city of Wellington for some years past the Chinese element in various forms has been very prominent. Almost all the fruit shops are run by Chinamen. The yellow agony have practically monopolised the laundry business. In Manners and Cuba streets every other shop window bears a Mongolian trade name, and even the grocery businesses are being pressed by the competition of the almond eyed invaders. One might tolerate a limited number of industrious Chinamen in a civilised community earning a honest livelihood as market gardeners, fruiterers, and laundry men, but the melancholy fact is that in the wake of these aliens follow evils which are almost unspeakable, and Which tend to poison the moral atmosphere of our cities. A week or so ago the police made a descent on a Chinese brothel, kept by a notorious Chinese criminal in a slum known as Haining-street, where three girls, the eldest of whom is just past the age of 17, were found consorting with some of the most degraded specimens of Chinese depravity, and yesterday the keeper of the house, a filthy opium debauched Tartar-like creature, who calls himself George Howe, with the three unfortunates, appeared before two Justices of the Peace, Messrs Gill and Hornblow, in answer to several informations.
The hearing took place in the jury room, a comparatively small apartment, which was crowded with detectives, policemen, and others, while an unsavoury audience composed of odoriferous Chinamen and brutalluoking roughs blocked the passage outside. During a temporary pause in the proceedings, whilst the counsel for the defence was being hunted up, the girls stood in the room. They chatted and laughed, leered at the Chinamen in the passage, and conducted themselves with defiant levity. Mr Inspector Pender said the three girls, Maggie COfbett, Louisa Steele, and Bella Steele, were charged With Vagrancy. The man kept a house of iHfame^ at which most disgusting scenes continually occurred. He was charged with. being a rbgue and a vagabond, the occupier of a house frequented by persons who have no lawful visible means of support, and with being an idle "disorderly person. Detective Broberg was then called, and he related a. shocking story Of vice. He went to a house on the morning of the 16th, Which was Occupied by two Chinamen. He knocked loudly at the door and heard a movement inside, but the door not being opened, he opened a front window and saw a Chinaihafi whbse clothes were disordered rush, out of a bedroom where he-found two girls,. Maggie Steele and Mary* Corbett; who admitted having slept there the pf evious night. On the following Sunday night he watched two Chinamen enter the house and on entering saw tbe accused in a compromising position with one Of the girls. Sitting by the fire was. another Chinaman with the youngest girl on bis knee ahd bef arm round his neck. In another bedroom he found the girl Corbett With a Chinaman In a situation which admitted of no doubt as to the nature of their relations. On the Monday night the witness accompanied Detective Neill to the house, where they found the girl Corbett with HOWe and another Chinaman. They afterwards arrested Howe and COrbett in another house. Other Women of bad Character in Haining-street had complained of the state of things. The house was not. a gaming den, opium den, Or coOkshop; it Was only used for irAmoral purposes, Ho;We had also associated with bad characters. (Several previous convictions were here put in.) The girls had no proper means ofr support. They were notorious prostitutes. Constable HammOnd corroborated the evidence of Detective Broberg. The prisoner came from the West Coast with a woman named J_ouisa Howe, bringing the little girl Steele with them. He had seen Louisa Steele and Maggie Corbett soliciting men in the street. The girl Steele was rescued from a Chinese den 18 months ago
John Turner, a hairdressei? living in Haining-street, said he had seen the girls and Chinamen going in and out of the house at all hours.
Chief Hetective Campbell had known Howe for 12 or 13 years. He was convicted in 1890 of keeping a house of ill-fame. In 1891 he Was arrested for the same Offence in Maori Row, and again be was imprisoned for stealing a watch and chain. He had been a keeper of immoral houses for 8 or 9 years, living on the proceeds of shame. His own countrymen had complained of his vicious conduct.
The prisoner, having been sworn on the New Testament,-described himseU as a carpenter. Maggie Corbett had been paid 8/ a Week for looking after bis child by the woman Howe. 'Mitter Turner, be tell em lie; he no likee Chinaman.'
Inspector Pender said the ca_e W_s the worst that bad come to bis knowledge for many years past. The house was a down right Chinese den. It was kept for immoral purposes by Cbinamen, where these unfortunate girls were entrapped. It was time Haining street was cleared of these abominations.
The Bench said Howe had been convicted on four previous charges, and sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour.
The three girls Were then charged With vagrancy.
Detective Broberg sWOfe that the girl, Louisa Steele had consorted with a convicted thief named Keene. He had seen her associating with hoodlums, and had seen Corbett under compromising circumstances with a Chinaman. He described how the girls Louisa- and Bella Steele had lived with thieves and criminals. He thought the ,girl Bella might be reformed, but the other two were past redemption. The uncle of the Steele girls gave a melancholy sketch of their career. They had been left Orphans at an early age and thrown on their own resources. Louisa had sunk lower after a charge of larceny, fie described his efforts to rescue his nieces from a life of shame. Louisa was
utterly incorrigible, but Bella might be reclaimed.
The Bench ordered a conviction against the girl Bella, and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon, and committed her to the care of a Salvation 'lass' who was present.
'Go, for God's sake!' exclaimed her sister Louisa, as the other clung to her for a moment. All the time: Maggie Corbett stood up with an evil smile on her dissipated and hardened, countenance.
Louisa Steele, aged 17, being eallef by her counsel, swore she had been in service, though at present she had no home of her own.
Maggie Corbett, aged 17, said feh^ had earned her living as a general servant. She had received 8/ a week for looking after Howe's child, aged five. She admitted having been arrested for drunkenness, but had been drugged with cigar ash_ She had' never been immoral with Chinamen. When Detective Broberg found her she was only sitting on the bed talking to a Chinaman. When she went to the house on the Sunday night it was to get her hat. Michael Mulgrave, labourer, said he was willing to take Louisa Steele into his service. Unfortunately, howeyer, the cross-examination elicited the awkward fact that a man who Had been sentenced to three years for larceny was arrested in Mulgrave's house. Asked whether he had proper control over his wife, he said, 'Can I tie her up i with a rope when I go out'?' The Bench sentenced the twd girls to three months' imprisonment, but said representations would be made to';J? the Governor with a view to removing them to an Industrial Home.
'Stop crying, you fool!' remarked Corbett, as Louisa struggled with the.. police against being removed, until she was lifted up and carried bodily out by a stalwart policeman. I may add that when the Industrial School was. mentioned, the girl Corbett :called out, 'We'd rather take the three months in gaol.'
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Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 71, 25 March 1899, Page 2
HORRIBLE EXAMPLES OF JUVENILE DEPT SCENE IN THE MAGISTRATE'S COURT.
(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)
WELLINGTON, this day.
In the city of Wellington for some years past the Chinese element in various forms has been very prominent. Almost all the fruit shops are run by Chinamen. The yellow agony have practically monopolised the laundry business. In Manners and Cuba streets every other shop window bears a Mongolian trade name, and even the grocery businesses are being pressed by the competition of the almond eyed invaders. One might tolerate a limited number of industrious Chinamen in a civilised community earning a honest livelihood as market gardeners, fruiterers, and laundry men, but the melancholy fact is that in the wake of these aliens follow evils which are almost unspeakable, and Which tend to poison the moral atmosphere of our cities. A week or so ago the police made a descent on a Chinese brothel, kept by a notorious Chinese criminal in a slum known as Haining-street, where three girls, the eldest of whom is just past the age of 17, were found consorting with some of the most degraded specimens of Chinese depravity, and yesterday the keeper of the house, a filthy opium debauched Tartar-like creature, who calls himself George Howe, with the three unfortunates, appeared before two Justices of the Peace, Messrs Gill and Hornblow, in answer to several informations.
The hearing took place in the jury room, a comparatively small apartment, which was crowded with detectives, policemen, and others, while an unsavoury audience composed of odoriferous Chinamen and brutalluoking roughs blocked the passage outside. During a temporary pause in the proceedings, whilst the counsel for the defence was being hunted up, the girls stood in the room. They chatted and laughed, leered at the Chinamen in the passage, and conducted themselves with defiant levity. Mr Inspector Pender said the three girls, Maggie COfbett, Louisa Steele, and Bella Steele, were charged With Vagrancy. The man kept a house of iHfame^ at which most disgusting scenes continually occurred. He was charged with. being a rbgue and a vagabond, the occupier of a house frequented by persons who have no lawful visible means of support, and with being an idle "disorderly person. Detective Broberg was then called, and he related a. shocking story Of vice. He went to a house on the morning of the 16th, Which was Occupied by two Chinamen. He knocked loudly at the door and heard a movement inside, but the door not being opened, he opened a front window and saw a Chinaihafi whbse clothes were disordered rush, out of a bedroom where he-found two girls,. Maggie Steele and Mary* Corbett; who admitted having slept there the pf evious night. On the following Sunday night he watched two Chinamen enter the house and on entering saw tbe accused in a compromising position with one Of the girls. Sitting by the fire was. another Chinaman with the youngest girl on bis knee ahd bef arm round his neck. In another bedroom he found the girl Corbett With a Chinaman In a situation which admitted of no doubt as to the nature of their relations. On the Monday night the witness accompanied Detective Neill to the house, where they found the girl Corbett with HOWe and another Chinaman. They afterwards arrested Howe and COrbett in another house. Other Women of bad Character in Haining-street had complained of the state of things. The house was not. a gaming den, opium den, Or coOkshop; it Was only used for irAmoral purposes, Ho;We had also associated with bad characters. (Several previous convictions were here put in.) The girls had no proper means ofr support. They were notorious prostitutes. Constable HammOnd corroborated the evidence of Detective Broberg. The prisoner came from the West Coast with a woman named J_ouisa Howe, bringing the little girl Steele with them. He had seen Louisa Steele and Maggie Corbett soliciting men in the street. The girl Steele was rescued from a Chinese den 18 months ago
John Turner, a hairdressei? living in Haining-street, said he had seen the girls and Chinamen going in and out of the house at all hours.
Chief Hetective Campbell had known Howe for 12 or 13 years. He was convicted in 1890 of keeping a house of ill-fame. In 1891 he Was arrested for the same Offence in Maori Row, and again be was imprisoned for stealing a watch and chain. He had been a keeper of immoral houses for 8 or 9 years, living on the proceeds of shame. His own countrymen had complained of his vicious conduct.
The prisoner, having been sworn on the New Testament,-described himseU as a carpenter. Maggie Corbett had been paid 8/ a Week for looking after bis child by the woman Howe. 'Mitter Turner, be tell em lie; he no likee Chinaman.'
Inspector Pender said the ca_e W_s the worst that bad come to bis knowledge for many years past. The house was a down right Chinese den. It was kept for immoral purposes by Cbinamen, where these unfortunate girls were entrapped. It was time Haining street was cleared of these abominations.
The Bench said Howe had been convicted on four previous charges, and sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour.
The three girls Were then charged With vagrancy.
Detective Broberg sWOfe that the girl, Louisa Steele had consorted with a convicted thief named Keene. He had seen her associating with hoodlums, and had seen Corbett under compromising circumstances with a Chinaman. He described how the girls Louisa- and Bella Steele had lived with thieves and criminals. He thought the ,girl Bella might be reformed, but the other two were past redemption. The uncle of the Steele girls gave a melancholy sketch of their career. They had been left Orphans at an early age and thrown on their own resources. Louisa had sunk lower after a charge of larceny, fie described his efforts to rescue his nieces from a life of shame. Louisa was
utterly incorrigible, but Bella might be reclaimed.
The Bench ordered a conviction against the girl Bella, and ordered her to come up for sentence when called upon, and committed her to the care of a Salvation 'lass' who was present.
'Go, for God's sake!' exclaimed her sister Louisa, as the other clung to her for a moment. All the time: Maggie Corbett stood up with an evil smile on her dissipated and hardened, countenance.
Louisa Steele, aged 17, being eallef by her counsel, swore she had been in service, though at present she had no home of her own.
Maggie Corbett, aged 17, said feh^ had earned her living as a general servant. She had received 8/ a week for looking after Howe's child, aged five. She admitted having been arrested for drunkenness, but had been drugged with cigar ash_ She had' never been immoral with Chinamen. When Detective Broberg found her she was only sitting on the bed talking to a Chinaman. When she went to the house on the Sunday night it was to get her hat. Michael Mulgrave, labourer, said he was willing to take Louisa Steele into his service. Unfortunately, howeyer, the cross-examination elicited the awkward fact that a man who Had been sentenced to three years for larceny was arrested in Mulgrave's house. Asked whether he had proper control over his wife, he said, 'Can I tie her up i with a rope when I go out'?' The Bench sentenced the twd girls to three months' imprisonment, but said representations would be made to';J? the Governor with a view to removing them to an Industrial Home.
'Stop crying, you fool!' remarked Corbett, as Louisa struggled with the.. police against being removed, until she was lifted up and carried bodily out by a stalwart policeman. I may add that when the Industrial School was. mentioned, the girl Corbett :called out, 'We'd rather take the three months in gaol.'
Click here to view this newspaper article
This text was automatically generated by a computer. It has not been manually reviewed or corrected and may include errors. You can view the article in its original format or read the entire page.
About the computer-generated text
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a process for automatically extracting text from scanned pages. OCR enables searching of large quantities of full-text data, but it is not 100% accurate. The level of accuracy depends on the print quality of the original newspaper and its condition at the time of microfilming. Newspapers with poor quality paper, small print, mixed fonts, multiple column layouts or damaged pages may have poor OCR accuracy.
The page where this item appears has an estimated OCR accuracy of 98.71%.
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries.
Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 71, 25 March 1899, Page 2