A SAILORMAN'S PREDICAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 8

A SAILORMAN'S PREDICAMENT.

AMUSING. INCIDENT.

An incident which caused some commotion, 'and not a.little a'musemont,. occurred at Mangere, near Auckland, late on Thursday afternoon (says tho "Star"). A.-.dark-complexioned man, lightly oladin' blue jerMyy. dungaree pants, wearing no boots and shoes, and looking -considerably fatigued, visited a farm - on' ■ the lhuniata' Road. The' man's ; appearance evidently gavo :thoso who saw him tlio idea that -he' "was- Johnson, tho escapee from the"'.Auckland Mental'.'Hospital, arid the . Oriehunga ; police, Were immediately communicated Twith. Sergeant.'' Rogers and ' Constablo Wales forthwith proceed; ed to Mr. Henwood's farm,' only to find that the alleged lunatic had disappeared. 'A' little-later,' however, came a raestage from Mnhgoro.'.- that a man who was believed to bo'the escapee was at a neigh: bouri'ng farm.'The poli,co accordingly niado for that locality, again only .to find that the suspect had gone. A search of the,, neighbourhood soon brought the police officials',on to his tracks, however, and at- 7.p.m. they, found their man on the roadside, Testing. .When questioned, he wanted 'to know why everyone ..' ho met was so desperately anxious oxamino him.-.Ho stated that ho was;a sailor, just' discharged from his ship, and that ho/was-journeying .afoot: to Drury, there to. join somo friends who were farming. He produced his discharge' from the ship; and 'quite' convinced the police of his sanity. and identity. When, told that he had been stirring up the countryside as an alleged mental,hospital escapee, the man; stated that the explanation made several' things", clear, for ho had been* inclined'to'question'the, i mental condition of more than-ono per'soii he had himself met that day. Ho had called at a farmhouse and asked for a drink. Instead of giving him what hewanted tho residents had eyed him with suspicion and asked him the most extraordinary questions. In fact, their behaviour had been, in his eyes, so peculiar that, tired as he was, he went off still thirsty, and also without any sane indication as to how he was to retrace his. steps and again get on to tho correct routo for Drury. Tho next place 'ho came to ho thought ho would quench his thirst without bothering anyone, and going to a well at the' rear of the farmhoiiso ho proceeded to help himself. Here again peoplo immediately surrounded him, and began to cross-examine him in a manner which niado him wonder what was going to happen next. Tho'man recounted his experiences with somo humour, and no lack of intelligence, and tho police finally put him on his way to Otahulni, and thence proceed to his destination.