£500 REFUSED

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 15, 24 February 1939, Page 7

£500 REFUSED

REWARD FOR HELPING WOMAN

UNEMPLOYED MAN'S EXPLANATION (From The Guardian's London Correspondent) LONDON, January 28. "It would be criminal of me to accept the money," declared a workless man this week after he had sent back a cheque for £500 given to him by a wealthy man whose wife he had saved from severe illness, possibly death. Last summer Mr and Mrs PoweysRea now living in the south of France, were staying in an exclusive hotel on the sea front at Southsea. In another hotel John Shore was working as receptionist. One morning John was taking -his daily bef orebreakfast dip when he saw an elderly woman strolling along th 6 esplanade. Suddenly she collapsed. In a moment John was racing up the deserted beach to help her. He lifted the woman to her feet, then half-led, half-carried her to her hotel. That woman was Mrs Poweys-Rea. She and her husband have been grateful ever since to the young man whose prompt action probably saved her' life. When the summer was over Mr Poweys-Rea and his wife went to live in Lourdes. John Shore, his seasonal job over, returned to job-hunting in LQndon. The grateful husband and the workless man wrote to one another. But John never breathed a word about his poverty. He wrote happily about everything except work and money. But Mr PoweysRea was wondering how he could reward the modest young man who had probably saved his wife's life. Thinking that a hotel receptionist might have ideas of running a cafe on his own, he sent him a cheque for £500. It was returned by the next post. So Mr Poweys-Rea came to London to meet John Shore, hoping he might change his mind. This week they went to see a film together and then had tea. But John was adamant. "If I had found a wallet of yours I would have readily accepted a reward. But this is a case of human life," he said. "It was my duty fo help. I did what anyone else would have done in the circumstances. Later he said: 'I admit I was tempted. I know what it is to ,go hungry. I know I could do a lot of things with £500. But I am

much happier for having refused it." Said Mr Poweys-Rea: "He is a fool. I made no stipulation about the use of the money. I thought he would j like to start a little business of his I own or something of the sort."