Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930 - Flipbook - Page 96
1919
L O N G B AY
GAO L
N O T O R I O U S WO M A N
HOUSEBREAKER
Eileen Mulholland
BREAK, ENTER AND STEAL
Eileen Mulholland, a 23 year old married woman from Western
Australia, was photographed at the State Reformatory for
Women, Long Bay on 27 November 1919 while serving a twelve
month sentence for break and enter, and stealing.
Eileen married Victor Mulholland on 16 August 1919 at
Redfern soon after moving from Melbourne to Sydney. Just two
weeks later she was arrested and charged on three counts of
stealing. She was given a fine — which Victor paid — and bound
over on a good behaviour bond. In November Eileen was again
before the court on housebreaking charges. This time, she
was given a gaol sentence of twelve months. She was released
on license on 20 February 1920, but began stealing again.
Mulholland appeared in a number of Sydney police
courts in April 1920 accused of stealing fur coats, clothing
and jewellery to the value of over £900. In May at Sydney
Quarter Sessions, Mulholland — alias Emma Rolfe — was
sentenced to eighteen months light labour on two charges of
break and enter, and three charges of larceny. Judge Scholes
commented that “the only way to bring about a recovery in
your case is to send you to gaol, and thus protect the
public from your particular attention”. She was released
from the State Reformatory on 21 September 1921.
Eileen Mulholland did not linger in Sydney but
returned to Melbourne where she also ran afoul of the law.
There are numerous court appearances for housebreaking and
stealing under the names of Eileen Woods and Eileen Evans,
and she served a twelve month sentence in 1922. On 27 April
1923 at Melbourne General Sessions, Mulholland was
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