ROMANCE OF LONDON LIFE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LI, Issue 9081, 2 May 1906, Page 6

ROMANCE OF LONDON LIFE.

STORIES PROM THE POLICE COURTS.

LONDON, March 9. Not infrequently the budding writer in search of ideas may find them ready to his hand in the matter-of-fact chronicles of the police courts. Who could wish for a more dramatic situation than €najfc suggested by (te give a recent instance) a charge of attempted burglary which, came before a London court the other day? A husband and wife were going out for the evening, bub something or other occurred unexpectedly to keep the wife at home, and her husband went off without her. Left alone in the house, she sat reading by the parlour fire, into which she thrust the poker to make it burn better. Suddenly the silence was disturbed by a faint rattling sound' apparently •coming from the "front door. Tip-toeing into the passage, the lady was confronted by the as1 tionifihing sight of a man's hand projecting through the letter-box aperture in the door. The fingers held a looped piece of string, with which the hand was gently "fishing" for the bolt on the inside of the door. It was a burglar trying to effect an entrance. For a minute or two the 1 woman watched the mysterious hand at work, herself too terrified to move. Then ' suddenly a wild impulse drove her back to the parlor. Snatching the poker out of the fire-grate, she stole back to the passage, up to 'the tront door, and "jabbed 1 at the -unprotected hand with the Ted-hot iron. There was a yell of agony from without, the hand disappeared as though by magic, and then all was still. When the husband returned the lady told him what; had happened, and he kept watch and ward till morning, but nothing more was seen or head. In' the morning the lady went to call on her dearest friend, to tell her all about the wonderful doings of the omght. The friend lived just next door. When the visitor called only the friend's husband -was at home. He was sitting in bis par- -- lor nursing — a burned hand! .Another little drama of real life was told - in the unromantic surroundings of Lambeth. County Court this week. Some years ago a sergeant in the Royal Artillery, named Dowling, became engaged to a Miss Annie Pound, a cook. When war ' in South Africa was declared' the soldier, before his departure, made a will in favor of his sweetheart. After the war lie settled in Nova Scotia, from which place he sent £12 to Miss Pound — with/whom he had kept in communication— in order that she might join him and get married. At the same time he asked her to obtain a box belinging to him at Margate and bring it with her. The woman made all preparations for the journey, and also bought her ticket. When the box reached her from Margate, a few days before the date of sailing, she noticed that the lock was broken. With feminine curiosity she looked inside, and to her amazement discovered a letter in Dowling's handwriting, in which he referred to "his wife and two children." The shock and disappointment to her produced a serious illness, and with feelings outraged she wrote to her lover breaking off the engagement. Upon receiving the unexpected letter . from his sweetheart, Dowling paid his addresses to a girl in Nova Scotia, and eventually married her. Having (returned to this couaiitry, he commenced proceedings again.'* Miss Pound" for the return of the £12. and, in explanation of the letter which had had 6«ch a strange sequel', informed the Court that "his wife and two children" meant to refer to a widow and two children whom he and others had bef-

riended out of respect for a, dead cornTad c.

After hearing Dowling's statement, judgment was given for him for £4 5s and Court fees.