CONSTABLE'S COLD VIGIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 22

CONSTABLE'S COLD VIGIL.

COMEDY OF A BACKYARD.

MYSTERIOUS GIN CASES.

An excited fish merchant rushed into

tho police station at Redfern, Sydney, early one morning recently and breathlessly told the sergeant in charge that thieves had placed five cases of gin in his back yard. He was certain that tho men who had placed them there would come back' lat§r in the morning and remove the stolen goods.

Accompanied by Constable Wright, the fishmonger returned to his homo and pointed out the cases to the policemen. A cunning plot was then evolved, and arrangements were made to catch the malefactors red handed. The policeman hid in

the yard and patiently waited. An hour passed and the thieves did not return. Afraid to move lest he should be detected and shivering with the intense cold, ttio policeman huddled in a corner with an eye on the mysterious cases. At 1.30 a.m. tho gate next door clicked. Constable Wright grasped his revolver in

his hand and stood in readiness to arrest his man. A moment later the gate clicked again, and the disappointed policeman heard retreating footsteps in the street.

Benumbed with cold the constable re-

turned to his hiding placo and continued his lonely vigil. At 2 a.m. a motOr-car pulled up near by, and a number of men entered the backyard next door. Creeping stealthily along the fence the constable sprang up to his feet and challenged the men. It was the police night patrol searching for him. Subsequently it was learned that a relief constable had failed to find Constable Wright, and discovering an empty gin case in the next door house imagined that the thieves had captured the policeman and carried him away with the gin. This report was circulated, and police cais engaged in an intensive search of tho neighbourhood.

On opening the gin cases they were 'ound to be full of bricks. It is suspected

that tho gin was removed before tho cases were delivered to tho hotel to which they had been consigned, and tho hotel liconsee, who was employed by one of tho brewories, decided to dispose of the cases whon ho discovered that ho had been duped.