A COMEDY OF ERRORS.

Evening Star, Issue 10399, 21 August 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

A COMEDY OF ERRORS.

The ‘Freeman’s Journal ’ explains the circumstances under which Mr O’Dea and Mrs Butler were recently arrested, although quite innocent, on a charge of stealing a bank official’s bag containing £6,500. Mr ODea was travelling from Limerick to Dublin, and meeting at the’ Limerick Juneti°n Mrs Butler, who was also on her way to the metropolis, he offered his assistance t? , y - m tr . a . nsf £ rrißg her ln ggage to the Dublin tram. Mrs Butler’s luggage fay upon a bench in the railway station, and Mr O Daa proceeded to take up tho varione articles and place them in the cariiage in which the lady proposed to travel to Dublin. At this stage enters Mr H. J. White, an officer of the National Bank. Mr White had come from Limerick too. With him he had brought gold and notes representingsomething like £6,500 in a bag, which he was to transfer to another official at Thurles Mr White’s bag lay upon the same bench as the luggage of Mrs Butler, Mr White seems to have been very careful of his charge up to a certain point; but he looked away just at the crucial moment, and when he tamed to resume possession his treasure was gone. The simple explanation was that Mr O Dea, as a pure matter of gentlemanly courtesy, had transferred it to tho railway carnage, believing it to be amongst Mrs Butler s effects. To the mind of the bank official, of course, only one explanation suggested itself—namely, that he had been robbed. The same view was held by the railway men and the police. The telegraph wires were pat in motion, and Mr O’Dea and Mrs Butler were, to their own amazement and horror, arrested at Sallina on a charge of felony. Each had np to this labored under the delusion that the precious bag belonged to the other. The police naturally would not accept explanations, and both parties had to undergo the hnmilj! atmn of being placed in custody. Once the identity and respectability of the parties were established, however, the public generally came to the conclusion that there had been a mistake, and the day after the arrest the representatives of the. Crown vety properly withdrew the charge, and declared their complete belief in the innocence of the accused. ' ■ •

, Ba t gazing fixedly at the new bonnet of one of her mother’s visitors, until the caller smilingly asked : “ Do you like it. my dear ?” The child innocently replied; Yes, I do. Mamma and Aunt MiUy said it was a perfect fright, but it doesn’t frighten me a bit.”