SCENE ON A SHOWGROUND.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1900, 7 November 1913, Page 7

SCENE ON A SHOWGROUND.

A STALL WRECKED,

(By Tfltegrcijili.—Special Reporter.! • Palmerstotl North, Nov. 6. '{if r ° ni ant'ip jpaTling of making a ■uvohhood by giving something away for nothing brought trouble bo two 4un« men on the Paltnerston North Showgrounds tins afternoon. Tho pair had an open-air stall from which one was slioutiiig words to the effoot that lie had lines of watciios, etc., to advertise. J-f anyone would hand him a liaif-orawn he would subsequently return tho coin and an article. In a whi'lo tho eti'm was raised to 55.. and later to £1. A. small Bttmber of young fellows, including a mefty Maori, had . handed up £],: each, when tli© rain which hud been threatening for somo time began to fall. Tht) inaa who had been holding P, n,olle J' vanished, and soon W.b mate said that he, too, was off, as it was too .1 wet, Tho crowd beoame a.ngry, rushed the stall, and wrecked it. Tho partner lii ttto'bwsjhos? is said to have stood «t. ba.y nfmed with a sword, aftd tsc-sped being handled, Those Vho had paid in their pound's took possession of a big trunk containing the watches and. other things. Presently there was :i tumult outside the secretary's office, and there at the door was an excited crowd following in tho ttako of the box' bearers. Thore were five frlio claimed to liavp a pound's interest. ia the business. It was at-, first proposed that the five should divide the contents of tho box, hut tho quintette suggested that the. advice of the police should be obtained, finally a member of the Agricultural Society took the names and addresses of the five, i:itd had title box put in a -.safe place. Later in the afternoon the "firnj" arrived for its "shop," and one of them declared that ho had only re- ' ceived &l, which amount ho was willing to hand over.