'WHAT'S IN A NAME?'

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1898, Page 4 (Supplement)

'WHAT'S IN A NAME?'

A coroner's court is not the place in' which one would expect to find amusement, but in the Southwark Court the other day the coroner and a labouring' man who was summoned to give evidence at the inquest on his little boy, Samuel Watson, who had been run over by a cart, had this amusing colloquy: — The Corouer: What is your name? —I works as Jim West, am known athome as Jim Ford, but the police sez my name's Jim Watson. The Coroner: How comes the name Watson?— That was my mother's name, and they wasn't married. The Coroner: And how. does the

name Ford arise?— That's my missus's name, and we ain't married The Coroner: But- this child tnen should be Samuel Ford if it is illegiti- j mate-?— But it ain't. I was married, but my wife's-.dead. The Coroner: Where's your wife now —I mean Mrs Ford'?—At 'Olloway. The Coroner: What's she doingthere?—A month.. •'■:,, , The Coroner: Who's had charge of this child'?—l have, but I was at work when it got run over. , The Coroner: What are you?—Anythink. I'm on the fust job I sees. ]