By Michael Shelford © 2019
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On the 15th May 1933, Patricia O’Brien and George Harper entered Our Lady Help of Christians’ Catholic Church, in East Brunswick, and got themselves hitched.
By this point, Patricia had a list of convictions in the double digits. They were fairly minor offences, which included: resisting arrest, insulting words, indecent language, and loitering for prostitution. To the legal institutions, Patricia represented herself as being born in 1912, whereas her birth record confirms she was actually born in 1915, meaning that her first convictions were not as an adult, but as a child of 15, and that she was convicted 3 times under the charge of loitering for prostitution when only 17 years of age. When she married George she was only 17, but she must have lied to the priest as her marriage record states that she was 19.
At the time of their wedding, George’s criminal record was more extensive than Patricia’s. He’d just been released from Pentridge Prison after serving 2 years for larceny. In 1930 he’d done 6 months in Geelong for receiving stolen goods, and before that he’d accumulated a string of minor convictions including: drunkenness, insulting words, unlawful possession, offensive behaviour, and loitering with intent to commit a felony.
What could possibly go wrong?
They'd been wed less than a week, when their marital home was raided by police, and they both found themselves under arrest. It turns out that George had taken possession of 22 silk shirts without making payment for them. He was charged with larceny, and Patricia was charged with having insufficient lawful means of support.
The charge of having insufficient lawful means of support meant that it was the opinion of the police that you were living of the proceeds of crime. The onus was then on you to prove in court that you were making an honest living.
Patricia was the first to be tried, and she called her mother as a witness. Her mother testified that there was always a place at home for her daughter. Patricia then called her husband George to the witness box. He didn’t have to travel far, he was being held in the court cells awaiting his own trial. George’s testimony was make or break for Patricia, because, in that era, the husband was expected to be the ‘bread winner’. If he could demonstrate that he was supporting her financially, then she could not be found guilty of having insufficient lawful means of support.
George didn’t do a very good job though. Under questioning he denied that he’d been living off Patricia’s earnings as a prostitute. He stated that instead, he had been supporting her. When the Magistrate asked George what he’d been doing since he got married, George replied “Oh, just running about town”.  “What means have you of supporting her?” the Magistrate then asked, “You can see what I have been charged with”, was George’s reply.
Patricia was then sentenced to a year in prison.
When George’s turn came to be tried, it was proven that he had stolen the silk shirts. He pled for leniency, explaining that he’d just gotten out of prison after doing a sentence of 2 years for receiving stolen goods. The Judge sentenced him to the maximum he could give: 12 months prison. After delivering the sentence, the Judge said to George, “I will probably be seeing you again”. To this George replied, “I hope you will not be so severe next time.”

Keep an eye on this page for Part 4 which will be coming soon.

If you’re looking for a fun and practical gift for Christmas, Birthdays, or for any reason, they are available by clicking on the 'Book Now' tab on this website. Gift Cards are emailed immediately.
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To learn more about the interesting characters from Melbourne’s past, come along on the Fitzroy True Crime walking tour, Fridays 2pm and Sundays 1pm, or the Gangsters, Brothels and Lolly Shops tour (Melb CBD), Thursdays 8pm and Saturdays 4.30pm. Bookings can be made by clicking on the 'Book Now' tab on this website.

By Michael Shelford © 2019
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In May 1930, a young man by the name of George Harper entered a lane near the corner of Bourke and Swanston St. George Harper wasn’t his only name, he was also known as George Ferguson, George Fraser, George Lewis, John Kite, Degen etc. He was a drinker, a brawler, and made his living as a thief, burglar, and pimp.
As he entered the lane he met with an acquaintance called Thomas Brown. Brown suggested that he go and buy them both a bottle of beer, but George declined, explaining that he didn’t have enough money. It was then that there was a sudden movement from Brown’s arm as he pulled a cut throat razor from his pocket and slashed George across the face.
George managed somehow to walk to Melbourne Hospital. By the time he got there he was weak, his clothes saturated in blood. The injury to George’s face was horrendous. The wound was 6 inches long, stretching from ear to mouth. It was an inch deep, had gone through nerves, muscles and a gland, and had caused partial paralysis to some of his facial muscles. Over 40 stitches were installed and for some time his life was considered to be in peril.
Thomas Brown was arrested later that evening in a billiard saloon on Flinders St and charged with occasioning grievous bodily harm.
The story above was how George originally explained the circumstances to police, but by the time of the trial, the narrative had changed slightly. George testified that he’d met Brown in Bourke St, and that Brown had been accompanied by a man called ‘Snowy’. He, (George), had argued with Brown, and Brown had then slashed him with a razor.
Not surprisingly, Brown gave a different explanation in his own defence. He said that the man ‘Snowy’ was not his friend but his enemy. That Snowy was the one in possession of the razor, not he. “Snowy tried to slash me with a razor”, he explained, "I ducked and it caught Harper in the face.”
A friend of Brown’s gave testimony which supported this version of events. None of them knew the true identity of this ‘Snowy’ character so he couldn’t be called to testify.
At this point the Judge had had enough. He directed that the jury find Brown not guilty because obviously everybody was too drunk on the evening in question to be able to give reliable testimony.
Note: By the early 1930’s the use of the cut throat razor as a weapon was becoming more common in the Melbourne underworld. There was belief at the time that this was a result of amendments in the Vagrancy Act in NSW. The amendments meant that people could be sentenced just for ‘consorting’ with known criminals. Many of Sydney’s gangsters relocated to Melbourne at this time. Quite a few of those who relocated had been active in Sydney’s razor gang era (roughly 1927-1931).
Keep an eye on this page for Part 3 which will be coming soon.
If you’re looking for a fun and practical gift for Christmas, Birthdays, or for any reason, they are available by clicking on the 'Book Now' tab on this website. Gift Cards are emailed immediately.
To learn more about the interesting characters from Melbourne’s past, come along on the Fitzroy True Crime walking tour, Fridays 2pm and Sundays 1pm, or the Gangsters, Brothels and Lolly Shops tour (Melb CBD), Thursdays 8pm and Saturdays 4.30pm. Bookings can be made by clicking on the 'Book Now' tab on this website.