1915-05-08ee

The case list was lengthy at the Hamilton Police Court on Saturday morning, May 8, 1915.

There was a long list of interesting cases for the Spectator reporter in attendance to cover, but in the few short hours before the afternoon edition of the paper was to hit the streets, he came up with the following:

“Was Lila Rogers’ beauty responsible for her downfall?  C. W. Bell, her counsel avers that her charms were a handicap to her, rather than a help, in the battle of life.

“Lila was brought up from the jail this morning to answer a charge of vagrancy. Early yesterday morning, the police of the Sherman avenue station received a tip that she was in a foreign boarding house at 207 Sherman avenue north. They called, climbed three flights of stairs, broke down a door, and found Lila and a grey-haired Armenian, Charles Harrian. Lila was in a mellow stage of intoxication, and two empty whiskey bottles testified mutely to a huge carousal.

“Harrian was also charged with vagrancy, but the magistrate dismissed the charge against him. The police tried to prove that he was exploiting the Rogers girl for immoral purposes, but they failed. The magistrate contended that as he was working every day, he could not be held for vagrancy. His worship did contend, however, that Lila was a common vagrant, and Mr. Bell disagreed.

“ ‘Take a good look at her, your worship. She’s a mighty fine looking girl – so good looking that men simply cannot resist the temptation to follow her,’ said Mr. Bell, and Lila, nonchalantly leaning over the dock railing, thought it such a good joke that she laughed right out loud.

“ ‘Her beauty shouldn’t be considered,’ said his worship.

“ ‘Perhaps not, but it still remains that homely girls aren’t accosted very often,’ replied Mr. Bell.

“His worship, remanding the girl a week, said that if any responsible person or charitable organization would undertake to look after her, he wouldn’t send her to jail.

          A CONVICTION REGISTERED

“A.B. Jones, representative of the Toronto World Publishing company, was convicted of a breach of the Lord’s Day act, but his worship deferred the imposition of a fine, saying that there were many points involved which would have to be considered.

“Last Sunday morning an ‘extra’ was published, containing the casualty list.

“George S. Kerr, K.C., counsel for the defendants, held that it was almost a charitable act to publish the names of the wounded, because there were hundreds in Hamilton who were anxiously awaiting word of relatives at the front.

“ ‘How many Hamilton names appeared in that paper?’ asked his worship.

“ ‘Six or seven,’ replied Mr. Jones.

“ ‘Then if the sole desire of the Toronto World was to notify those relatives, it would have been a lot easier and less expensive to telephone them or call on them,’ laughed the magistrate.

          WAS ADJOURNED

“Mike Kullek, 27 Joseph street, was remanded until Monday. He was charged with the theft of clothing from David Shapiro.

          DOWN HE GOES

“ Andy Vallier will read his war news in jail. He was stowed away for six months. Vallier was charged with entering the residence of Rev. A. E. Large and stealing a diamond ring. The ring was found in a pawnshop on James street, where Vallier had taken it.

“ ‘I’m not going to convict you of stealing the ring, but I’m going to find you guilty of receiving it, knowing it to have been stolen,’ said the magistrate in imposing sentence.

          PURP WAS OUT

“Fred. Marshall’s fuzzy dog roamed hither and yon about the streets. Two sleuths said so, and Fred admitted it.

“ ‘I’ll let you down with a fine of $1 this time. I would have made it $2 if you hadn’t been so reasonable,’ smiled the magistrate.

          WAS REMANDED

“The juice that muddies was said to be responsible for Linden Huddert’s down fall. He pleaded guilty to stealing a rimmer, a pipe cutter and a brace.

“ ‘It’s the booze. I was out on a bender for a week, or I wouldn’t have done it,’ wheezed Huddert. He was remanded until Tuesday.

          WRONG SIDE

“James Clark drove his auto on the wrong side of the road. He was singed for $2.”¹

¹ “ Said Her Beauty Was a Handicap”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 8, 1915