MAGISTRATE'S COURT Evening Post, 25 Nov 1912: MAGISTRATE'S COURT: At the Magistrate's Court  Ethel Guilford was sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment for disobedience of a maintenance order, the warrant to be suspended as long as 2s a week is paid into court.

NZ Truth: 4 Dec 1915, AN ALLEGED DEN RAID ON ELIZABETH-STREET "JOINT" - WHAT THE POLICE ALLEGED: At the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, on the 18th inst, before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper. S.M., a box full of butterflies made their appearance and were asked to explain certain happenings which were alleged to have occurred at 58 Elizabeth street, Wellington. Rosina Henry was charged with keeping a common brothel. Rosa, sometimes is known as Mrs. Giles and Mrs. James Alice Hawthorn, a sister of the alleged keeper was charged along with Jessie Sutherland and a sweet young thing named Ethel Guilford or Pope (explantion: Ethel's mother Mary remarried in 1903 to William Pope so Ethel may have been using her stepfather's name) with assisting in the management of the establishment. With the butterflies were ranged five young gentlemen, one named Harry Giles, a gentleman about 29 years of age and fully six feet in height, being conjointly charged with Rosina with KEEPING THE ALLEGED DEN. George Wells, Andrew Price (more generally known as "Sam"), and Leonard Boccker were arrested and charged with consorting with persons of ill-repute In the house was a five year-old child which was taken charge of by the police. Giles and Rosina Henry lived to-gether as man and wife and there was conclusive evidence that the place was being used as a brothel. Giles was an assistant at a shooting gallery. Rosina drew 21/- per week from her husband's deferred pay, he being a soldier on active service. The soldiers (Boeckor and Guilford, brother of the lovely Ethel were on "sick leave." The other ladies were "common professionals".  One of the men. Andrew (Sammy) Price, was a bootmaker, and he failed to provide for the maintenance of his wife who is in very delicate health, and their child. A warrant was out for his arrest as he was to be charged with attempting to leave the Dominion.

Sergeant Wilcocks said that he knew the bevy of beauties and they were all that the inspector had said of them and more. He specified times and dates on which he had seen soldiers and civilians going in and out of the house. He had watched on Nov 9, 11 and I6 in company with Constable O'Dca and Sergeant Kelly. On Nov 16 he had seen the four ladies mentioned at the establishment. Wells came out to the gate with Bessie. Shortly after Giles came home. One of the ladies was not there (indignant cry from sweet Ethel "I WAS NOT THERE.") He saw several soldiers going in and out. It was not Guilford who went out. There was plenty of the amber liquid about, and the soldier Guilford told him that he had been staying there for about three days. He had only seen Price there once. He had seen Rosina Henry and Alice Hawthorne drinking at the Cambridge Hotel with Guilford (not sweet Ethel) at the rear of the premises. He spoke to the manager, Mr. James, and he TURNED THEM OUT. The man and women became very abusive to him. The sergeant then detailed the arrest and Giles said, "I paid the rent, I don't know anything about thls misbehavior. I go to work at 8o'clock and don't return till 11, but I came home earlier to-night in consequence  of what I'd heard and this is what I find." Bessie Henry saidd: "You can't do anything to me. My husband is at the front, and I'm receving ? a week from him. Ethel Guilford said: "I only came here to see my brother. It is the first time I have been to the house and there's not a stitch of my clothing in the place" When reminded that she had been seen there previously, she admitted it. Prlce admitted previous acquaintance with the placo. Jessie Sutherland said that she had been engaged to do the housework. Inspector Hendrey: From what you saw of the place, what would you say it is? — A brothel.  Lawyer O'Leary (who appeared for the whole of the accused): How do you define a brothel? — A place where where two or three women keep a house for meeting men. The witness admitted that he had not found a bank-book or any sign ot wealth about the premises. He didn't know that, one of the boisterous scenes WAS MERELY A SEND-OFF to George  Armitage, Rosina's brother who was going to the Front. Constable Thomas Young Hall told what he knew of the ladies and gentlemen who patronised No 45 Elizabeth Street - he knew Wells who was generally about with the woman Bessie Henry, Alice Hawthorne and Jessie Sutherland.

Sergeant Fitzpatrick also gave evidence which was also on a par with the previous assertions and when Lawyer O'Leary asked him if the place was a brothel, Fitz. replied. "Certainly, certainly. I know the characters of the women. I know that Sutherland kept company with a prostitute now doing twelve months."

Constable Edward James McKelvie said that he knew the whole coterie of beauty in the box and, from what he had seen of them he catalogued them as *reputable prostitutes* (which is an advance on disreputable ones, perhaps). He had seen some of them drinking with a prostitute named Cissy O'Neil, a well-known character, in the Clyde-quay Hotel.

Constable O'Dea was then called and all respectable women were asked to leave the court. This limb of the law had no doubt whatever about tbe characters of the box full of beauties. They were all "common pros." In answer to Mr. O'Leary, he admitted that he had seen no money pass between any of the men and the women. He detailed his knowledge of the men. A WARRANT WAS OUT FOR PRICE'S ARREST. He had cleared out from Niven's, where he had been working, and had been living with the girl Pope or Guilford. Mr. O'Leary: Do you know if any of the women had any money? — Bessie (Rosina) Henry said that they had plenty of money to pay a solicitor. At this stage an adjournment was made until Monday afternoon.

On resuming on Monday, Mr. O'Leary addressed the bench. He contended that, under section 177 of the Justices of the Peace Act, which described "a house, room, or set of rooms" as being a brothel if kept for the purposes of prostitution, the whole question hinged upon the meaning of the word "prostitute." Inspector Hendrey contended that the evidence disclosed that all the women were common prostitutes and that the men acted as touts.

Rosina Henry was called to give evidence. Mr. O'Leary - "How long have you been in Elizabeth-street?" "Four or five weeks". "What was the arrangement between you?" "That he (meaning Giles) should pay the rent and that I should keep the house going." "Of course, you are living with him?" "Yes." "Now, do you receive any money?" "I get £1 ls per week from my husband, John Henry, who ls at the front." "Now, how did you come to meet the accused woman, Sutherland?" "I had burnt my arm (here witness unbandaged her lily-white arm and displayed the remains of a scar) and I got her to do the housework." "About your sister, Alice Hawthorn?" "My sister gets money from her husband, who works on a boat. She comes to my place because she is lonely and has no place to go to." "Have you any brothers?" "Yes, my brother, George Armitage went to the front on the 13th." Witness went on to say that they were very fond of music at her house and often indulged in piano playing, singing, and they sometimes went to the theatre. She was paying Jessie Sutherland 15/- a week for assisting her. Ethel Guilford had certainly stayed there on the night of the 13th. but had got up at six o'clock the next morning and gone down to her work at the Phoenix Dining-rooms (whero SHE HANDED SOUP AROUND to hungry travellers). She (witnesa) had never received money for Immoral Purposes while she has been in the house. The only money, she had received was from Giles, who paid the rent of the furnished house (37/6 per week, less lighting). She was a fortnight behind in her rent and owed money to the butcher and baker. Inspector Hendrey: How old are you?— l am 28 or 29. Whose is the child which you had in the house? — It is an adopted child and is 5 years of age. Is it legally adopted?— No, but I have had it ever slnce it was nine days old. It is no relation to me except that my husband is its father. Who is James? A fellow I used to live with. Is James the father of some of your children? No. I never had a child In my life. How long ago is it since you lived with James? I lived with him for two years. Did James do any work? Yes, he followed the shows and circuses for six or seven weeks. Do you say that James supported you?--Yes, he always supported me. Where did you pick up the unfortunate man, Henry, whom you married?—I met him in Christchurch. When did you get this order on your husband's pay?— A few weeks ago. When you were living with James? No, on my own. Where did you meet Giles?— My brother introduced him to me. Does he know of your bargain?— No. Are you a common prostitute?— No. Are all these women in the box common prostitutes?— No. Do they all earn a living in a proper manner? I suppose they do. Do you know that Ethel Guilford has been living with Price? Not in my house. (The fair Ethel from the box "I'm not living with Price.") Do you remember Sergeant Kelly speaking to her in your premises? Yes, he told her to keep away from me as I was a prostitute. Mr. O'Leary; Did you husband make this allotment before he left?— Yes. 21/- a week. He had been living with another woman and he made it perfectly voluntarily.