A WARNING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1698, 14 June 1884, Page 3

A WARNING.

The following anecdote, [pointing an excellent ' moral, coined f r6m JToi-fclv Canterbury. Some time ago a tramp 'called at one of the country • -stations in "the Northern district, and timed • his visit so as not to be too late for tea. After tea h^e was given a good bed of straw, and in the morning a strong man's breakfast, and he trudged. Shortly after his departure one of ' the regular hands at the station found that he - had been robbed of 14s. This he reported to his mates, who forthwith put up a little job on the stroller. Two were sent off to catch him, which they succeded in doing after an hour's sharp canter, and brought him back. A scratch jury decided that the vagabond should do seven days' "work on the station, and he was carefully watched and kept at it till the term of his penalty had expired. The hands, on his departure, sont many ' jeering remarks after him, but the loser of the 14s, who had gone down the road ahead unobserved, as the bird of passage came to a bend hidden from view by a gorse fence sprang out suddenly and threatened violence unless the cash was returned, whereupon the straggler, in order to avoid a return to the hard labour of the station, paid up the money, inclusive of a florin, with a hole in it, which the lawful owner immediately recognised, the scamp having then a surplus of only three copper tokens remaining. In . future loafers probably, when they hear of this little joke and ascertain, the namo of the , station, alluded to, will pass it in the noonday heat, and try some place where summary jurisdiction does not exist.