SHORN OF HER TRESSES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2394, 8 January 1909, Page 4

SHORN OF HER TRESSES.

ALLEGED EXTRAORDINARY ACTION OF REMAND HOME OFFICIALS.

What would appetr to be an extraordinary action on tlio part of the officials of a' Girls’ Remand .Home, came to light recently. A few weeks ago a. tall girl of sixteen. named Gertrude Andrews, was charged at the Marylebone Police Court before Air. .Plowden with stealing t skirt, and was sent to the Remand Home for seven days. At the time she had a wealth of beautiful dark-brown wavy hair, which was done up in rolls on either side of her tractiveness. ' _ She was exidently proud of it and its glossy and silky appearance attracted the attention of all who saw her in court. To the surprise, of everybody., however, when she again appeared before the magistrate a few days after, only the fringe in front remained, the rest of the hair having been cropped off close to the bead. It might at first be - thought that this had been done for the purpose of cleanliness, bu the fact that the hair was not removed until the day before she was brought to the court negatived that idea. . Tlic girl’s story was that on a Friday afternoon a certain lady at tlio Home took her downstairs and told her she was about to cut offjier hair, as, instead of going to the court, she was to be taken straight away in tlie morning to a school at Liverpool. She then cut the luxuriant tresses close off with clippers and scissors. The girl cried and asked it it would grow again while she was away? £ ’Oh, yes,” said the lady, “it will soon grow again and will be better than ever. You don’t look so bad.” She was much distressed at the loss of her hair, but was somewhat consoled when told that she would be away about two years. . . , , On Saturday, however, instead or going straightway to Liverpool, she was taken in tlie Remand Home clothes ’ to the court, where she was bound over under the Probation of Offenders Act to report herself to the missionary for three months. The loss of the hair to the girl is a most serious matter, as for some months to come she will probably be unable to obtain a situation, nobody being likely to employ her in her present disfigured state.