BEASTLY BEERY BLUDGER.

NZ Truth, Issue 67, 29 September 1906, Page 6

BEASTLY BEERY BLUDGER.

A Wellington Waster Walloped.

!A! loafing, lazy, loutish fellow named Edward George Thomas Hughes, whose failier is said to he a Wellington business man, was the cause of a loathsome scandal at ChristcUureh.

He is a young, well-made man, but is addicted to drink ; so much so that a prohibition order was taken out against him by his wife. Remarried this woman not long ago, although she had a family by someone else, and battled m the streets at night at the old, old game pursued by women who have no virtue worth speaking of. A woman of her stamp just suited Hughes because it saved him from gome to work. However, the woman's child died the other day, and the funeral was fixed for the next afternoon. Wishing Hughes to look a bit respectable at the grave-side she gave him money to get a shave. But, although prohibited, he got drunk, and on coming back he lay down pn the river bank right opposite the house, where preparations were being made for the funeral. The woman was naturally very disgusted ; it was a horrible position to be placed in— herself about to get into a mourning carriage to follow the mortal remains of her child to the "'grave and its step-father lying. beastly drunk a few yards away, the cynosure or all eyes, neighbors and passers-by. The woman rang up Constable Gibson, and implored him, for God's sake, to come and take the dirty brute away. Gibson arrived, but stood off at a distance not caring to make a. fuss until the funeral had gone its way. Then he procured a cab and had Hughes lumbered to the station. On being charged with drunkenness and with procuring liquor while an order was out against him, he pleaded that he was very subject to fits, and that he had one 'on the day m question, falling down m the street. A- stranger picked him up, carried him to the river bank, and ran and got some whisky m a bottle (a .medicine bottle, by the way. Do they keep medicine bottles m hotel bars ?), and after he had given him some of the reviver he placed the bottle m his (Hughes') pocket. But this yarn didn't go down with Day, S.M., who fined him £3 5s m all. On a charge .of being an idle and disorderly person, Hughes pleaded not guilty, but it was shown that he had done little or no work for many months. He did three and a half, days at the exhibition, but; was discharged on account of his laziness and incapability. ' Accused said he used to be m the post and telegraph service m Wellington, but he couldn't take on climbing poles here on. account of fits.. He had £40 m Wellington, and- his relations there had sent him £20 since. Dr. Dimond had told him that he should take absolute rest for a while (he had already had. eight months of It), annl that he wasn't fit to work. In answer to Sergt. Norwood, this lout of loose morals admitted having come down from Wellington with Mary Lloyd, a convicted prostitute, but he said he didn't know that she was a .woman of the town. It wasn't true that the doctor had said his present nervous condition was due to his drinking habits. Nor was it true that when he lived m Lichfield-street that he was constantly running from his house to the pub for beer—"running the cutter"— or that there, was revelry m his house up to five o'clock m the morning. If the neighbors and the police said so it: was false. The prisoner called his wife, but she didn't' seem inclined to' say anything m his favor ; she couldn't, anyhow. However, the 1 S.M. decided to give the low fellow— who has been battening on prostitution— a chance. He convicted him, but told him not to loaf about any more, but to get to graft. Then he discharged him.