"House of joy" January 24, 1914.

~THE CRITIC~

ROCKHAMPTON  JANUARY 24, 1914.

Bookmakers Lapse.

Bother in a Brothel.

An echo of a holiday jag was heard at the Police Court last Friday, when Louise Broughman, the keeper of a “house of joy” at what is known as the Black Bridge, proceeded against James M'Lachlan, a bookmaker, for property on the 31^st December last.

From the evidence M'Lachlan was well known at the Black Bridge resort, and when he drove out in a licensed motor-car on the afternoon of December 31^st he was greeted cordially by the complainant Broughman and others of the girls. The defendant was not responsive to the friendly greetings, and according to complainants story, started in to break the furniture at a great rate. Tables, chairs, mosquito curtains, flower pots, teapots, and sundry other articles were wrecked, and used as weapons to demolish others. The ladies in the maison-de-joie also came in for severe handling, and verily, the evidence disclosed that, instead of being a “house of joy” the Black Bridge brothel presented the appearance of a “house of woe.”

In cross-examination, Mr. Pattison tried to weaken complainant's evidence, but did not succeed. She had three girls in the house, but there was no tango-dancing or other frivolities which might account for the general breakages. She had been approached by a man named Bancroft with a view of settling the matter, but no business resulted. Further evidence was given on behalf of complainant, and then the case was adjourned. On the Court resuming again, the lawyers on both sides of the argument announced that a settlement had been arrived at, and asked that the case be withdrawn. This was accordingly done, and the joyful jag was cut short at the first chapter.