Untitled

Ashburton Herald, Volume I, Issue 213, 2 December 1878, Page 2

An Unrehearsed Act. An amusing circus story is told by the “Manawatu Herald”:—On Friday night, when Dick Turpin was being performed, at the death scene, Black Bess was placed upon the bier as usual, and the band struck up the plaintive Dead March from “ Saul,” whilst Turpin, with rueful countenance, sat upon his favorite mare. After a few steps, however, Bess moved her leg, and her hoof gently touched the head of one of the hearers. He at once dropped his end, and the whole affair came down with a crash, Turpin clearing himself with a tremendous leap. Fortunately, beyond one or two slight bruises no damage was done, though poor Bess suffered afterwards for not acting her part better. This “ conthratongs ” (in the pure French of Paddy Murphy) seemed to surprise to a degree the circus company, whilst the Dead March suddenly ceased, and the National Anthem closed the performance.

A Skeleton in the Cupboard. —The Wellington correspondent of the Wairarapa Daily tells the following story about a lady who sought a divorce in the Court there. Her husband was a doctor, who kept a skeleton in a —as most men are in the habit of doing—only this was an actual and not a metaphorical one. His mode of punishing Madame Medico was to put her into the cupboard with the bones, which may have been part of one of her ancestors, and shake the cupboard well when she was locked in to make the contact between the living and the dead complete. The story, adds the correspondent, has only the merit of truth,