PARSIMONIOUS POPE.

NZ Truth, Issue 65, 15 September 1906, Page 5

PARSIMONIOUS POPE.

On Tuesday, before Mr Dyer, S.M., the miserable story of Charles Pope's scoundrelly- treatment of his aged and infirm father was unfolded. At one time old Thomas Pope was a prosperous Waikato farmer. Now, by various transactions, the nature *of which did not come to light, the old man is destitute, whilst his un-? filial son, Charles, has taken the lot. Practically all that remains to old Pope now is an income of 15s 6d a week, the rent of one house. , The case was an application for main"tenance and Lawyer Hackett, for the plaintiff, said things about defendant that made callous Charles look sick and sorry ; but af ter Hackett had had his innings the S.M. took the crease and began to knock lumps off the defendant some more. The Maeistrate said r looking Pope straight m the eyes, "You are very well off now, but life brings many changes. There is a law of retribution and you may yet find yourself m the same position as your father now occupies."

The old man told how he had from time td time had dealings with his son, and Charles eventually got the property. The son now held 700 acres which . were originally his, worth about £4,000. He had let his son have- it on easy terms, thinking he would assist him. (plaintiff) if he needed assistance. He had lent his .son £31 odd, telling him he could repay it at his leisure, but never got it., hack. The old chap brake down m the box and sobbed Twhen asked if [ 15s 6d a week would keep' him and explained that he had to pay 9s rent which only left 6s 6d for food and clothing. ■■''.•••

Defendant's solicitor said the defendant offered plaintiff a home, but old Pope retorted that he would not be happy on the farm -as his wife had died there and living there brought back unpleasant memories to him. His Worship suggested that thd least defendant could do was to furnish a* home for his aged father. He was obliged to rule that, with 15s 6d a week coming m, the old man was" not legally destitute, but it ill became his . son, m affluent circumstances, to put forward that technical defence. His sympathy, was altogether with the old. man-, but the legaj point was against him otherwise, he (the Magistrate) was dead m his favor. Here the badly mauled Charles rose and mumbled that he had offered — - but thfe S.M. cut him short with "hold your tongue," and this unnatural brute stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, .that m m the court being rather too sultry for him. It is to be hoped that Charles Pope's Waikato neigh<bpurs will make it as hot for him as the Magistrate did.

That' thick-set, heavily built, jovial looking gent, to be seen scooting arpund the lower part of Queen-street, Auclcland v any morning, is Seamen's Union Secretary Kneen. Drop the first "n" and you've got him set, ■lor the men who go down to the sea lin ships couldn't have a keener champion of their interests. Only t'other wa-v'.he mustered his forces and went ati«r outvoted the boss blokes when tney. wanted to send up a woeful wail pr^nt the hard lot of ship owners. K"fieea don't care a tuppeny dam artwiiT; the master man ; he knows by

i. ience the -sailorman's- hard lot, -as- his one object m life is to make «-t hard lot a big bit easier. Good ItiCTf. to him ! .