AN EXTRAORDINARY STREET INCIDENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 119, 18 May 1909, Page 2

AN EXTRAORDINARY STREET INCIDENT.

Queer things happen sometimes, and an extraordinary incident occurred on the night of April cjO, in Swanston Street, Melbourne, where a great crowd gathered' round a cranky looking individual who was industriously endeavouring to set his own coat tail on fire. The performance was a great

'deal harder than it might seem, and so (the crazy' one found it, for after using a box of matches, burning his fingers, and using a copious flow of words appropriate to the occasion j he was forced to desist with ihe remark, addressed to the public at large, "You require a lot of practice to do this successfully, you know; but I'll doit all right iri time. Lend me some more matches.'' > The crowd imagining that the man was some wag, with a. joke afoot to try and liven up tHe feeling of general depression which seemed to have ,set in with the bitterly cold weather, supplied another box, and once more the man took up the task of incinerating his coat tail. His perseverance ai length prevailed, and the glow behind Was reflected in the glow; ofr satisfaction that overspread the operator's features, as he felt that everything was going nicely. "Ah, that's all right!'? he exclaimed; "the brigade will .soon be here with all the firemen under the ' direction of the chief office^ ?•'.' . By this time a number of people had realised the truth that the man was deranged, probably from drink, and half; a dozen ablebodied citizens made a joint attack upon the 'seat, of the fire.", Owing to the situation! of the flames, the result was disastrous to the crazy ; one, for while some held him, others ,subjected the vicinity of hislcoat tails to the most violent treatment, &>me ging the burning coat tails with sticks and umbrellas, and some using their boots, but the fire was finally extinguished by a sensible person who emerged hastily from a neighbouring restaurant, and threw a bucket of water over it: When the crank finally got loose he looked like an effigy of Guv Fa'wkes, but he regained some or his wandering sense, for he'submitted to be taken honie <*n a tramcar by a friend who had recognised him. "Here; move on out of this! \commanded a burly constable five minutes afterwards, as* he dispersed the wondering crowd, "don't be obstructing the footway, yez all seem t' have very little t' do.'? >■■■: