HE HAD A BATH.

NZ Truth, Issue 114, 24 August 1907, Page 6

HE HAD A BATH.

And He Did Not Like It. A' person cannot well be charged with having no lawful, visible means of support if he is m receipt of the old age pension, but the police are hard put to it to know what to do With dirty old men who meander round aimlessly, sleeping anywhere, and living the life of homeless vagrants. They want soap and water badly. No matter what kind of soap— even if it's the Jirand that won't wash clothes ; perhaps the latter would •be the best suited for the purpose. This was what troubled ■an ' odd-looking creature of filthy aspect and unpleasant odor named Charles David Scott, a crippled derelict who appeared before Mr Bishop, S.M., at Christchurch. 3t was stated that he had.no home, and refused to go into any of the benevolent homes. He had previously declined to associate with common paupers ; he is a gutter millionaire compared with them. The S.M. elicited that Scott had had a bath during the time he had been on remand". The prisoner admitted this was so,, whereupon the Bench asked him ' IF HE LIKED IT. "No," said the unclean sample of humanity. "A man like you should be cleansed every day," remarked the S.M. as lie dismissed the charge, and allowed the battered wreck to wander away some more. Pay day is a great day with O.A.P's. of this sort, but the last half of the month following is generally marked by impecuniositv and lack of booze. Happily, there are but ' few of them.