A FAMILIAR FIGURE

Evening Star, Issue 18809, 6 December 1924, Page 6

A FAMILIAR FIGURE

“ EPHY ” WHITE IN COURT. CHARGE OF THEFT. Eiluythe Rajah of Bhang, “ renownevf about in story and song,” is Ephraim White. One of Dunedin’s best-known characters, “ Ephy,” looking much cleaner and tidier than when he appeared, in the Police Court the other afternoon, turned up again this morning on the same charge—one of stealing a table cloth, shirt, pair of trousers, overcoat, and blouse (total value, ,tl), belonging to George Albert Smith. He pleaded guilty. White did not appear to he greatly perturbed, though his long lingers (said in their day to have. skilfully handled more than one musical instrument) twitched somewhat nervously. Dunedin will fora year no longer see the spare, stooping figure, the familiar sack, and the long, lurching step, for White will be an inmate of a Christchurch home. Chicf-detective Lewis said that White called at the premises of Mr Smith and removed the articles mentioned. His business was to go round with a bag collecting second-hand material. Ho- was found wearing the shirt that was taken, and the other articles were found where lie lived—in an old .shed where a house had been burned down. The shed was in a filthy condition, and sacks were used for bed clothes. White was in a filthy state, and had to be given a thorough cleanup in the police station. The Salvation Army had signified its willingness to admit him to the Christchurch homo, and White had consented to_go. ft would ho a good tiling for him. He would bo looked after, and could wander round the ground as lie chose.

The_ Probation Officer (Air F. G. Gumming) said it would he necessary to detain accused until such time ns an escort would he going through. White; “I don’t want to go away from Dunedin.”

Tho Magistrate (Air J. R. Bartholomew) : Why ? White: “I have been in Dunedin for forty years, and— —” The Alagistrath: “You should try a change. It would do yon good. Would you rather go to gaol?” “ Ephy ” decided that the home would ho tho lesser of what lie probably regarded as the two evils. Ho was remanded for a week to have arrangements made to have him transferred to Christchurch, and was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within the next twelve months, a condition being that ho must remain in tho Salvation Army Homo at Christchurch.