THE WRONG MAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 109, 8 April 1926, Page 7

THE WRONG MAN.

EARLY MORNING INCIDENT.

POLICEMAN AND RAILWAY EMPLOYEE.

Tho attempts that have been made of late to derail trains in the vicinity of Palmerston North have resulted in determined efforts by tho Railway Department and the police to bring tho ofFcnder or offenders to book, and railway officials have been detailed to patrol the lines with tho view to preventing mishap to trains. At the sa'me timo the police are also keeping a look-out with the view to catching any offenders. it would be a “feather in the cap” of any constable who could catch those responsible for the recent occurrences. An incident which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning shows that zeal is not lacking in one constable. The latter was on duty in tho vicinity of Terrace End, and like all good members of the force he was on tho look-out for suspicious characters. I.t was not a particularly dark night, but it was dark enough to make the movements of a man at a distance indistinct. Seeing a person in close proximity to the railway line, and no doubt thinking that it was a queer timo to be admiring tho engineering skill expended on the New Zealand railways, the officer of the law promptly took steps to detain the man. Protests were unavailing—no doubt . tho officer remembered that' guilty as well as innocent persons always say they are doing no wrong—and the “prisoner” had to wait until a superior officer in the police force was able ' to identify the suspect. And then it turned out that he was a railwayman who had been detailed for the duty of watching tho lines to see that no further attempts were mado to wreck trains All’s well that ends well, but what tho constable thought of the matter and how the railway employee regards the alertness of the force are matters about which no details are available.