DON'T SNATCH.

NZ Truth, Issue 184, 26 December 1908, Page 4

DON'T SNATCH.

PHYLAND'S PUBLIC-HOUSE PRANKS. Fingers Flimsies and is Fined. William Phyland is a flax-hand and arrived m Wellington from Shannon on Wednesday last week with thirteen q|uid and a bank-Jbook m his possession, and on Saturday managed to get into some queer company, with the result that the man from Shannon found himself m the dock oh Monday, charged before Dr. fileArthur, S.M., with having stolen two one-quid notes from a greasy-looking person named David Grinton. The debonair O'Leary defended the man from Shannon, and Station-Sergeant Darby prosecuted. s The first witness called was the aforementioned greasy Grinton, whose . face was liberally smeared " with wet blood, and he shocked the susceptibilities of Cop. Clarke, the Court orderly, by smearing the brand new Bible with some of his red gore. Grinton pitched, a yarn about being m the Palace Hotel bar and borrow ag a -couple of notes from one Mc-G-arvin with which , to show the latter a trick, when Phyland, who was also im- . bibing swapkey, SNATCHED THE FLIMSIES and refused to part up. In reply to Mr O'Leary, Grinton said ho intended to give- the money back to McGarvin, but "accused snatched it out of my dooks." A bit later on, said Grinton, "Sergeant" Clarke came along, and . here "Truth" pajuscs to say that Cop. Clarke looked j quite pleased at his promotion and his vivid anticipations of wearing flha coveted stripes on Christmas Day. McGarvin, the owner of the notes, was called as a witness, but failed to appear. Cop. John Shaw, one of Commissioner Dinme's importations frae G<lasgae and a pompous, self-important slop who imagines that he constitutes the foorce, the whole foorce, and nothing but the foorce, then stepped into the witness-box ami dramatically described how he arrested Phyland. "I took down his words, your Worship, and he said, '1 did snatch the notes but I haven't them now, and it's your duty to find out where they are.' " Shaw shipped his man to the lock-up, accompanied with Grubby Grinton and McGarvin, find on being searched Phyland was found to have eight notes arid 17 R Gd m Ms pockets, but not the two notes said to have been stolen. Though witness had warned McGarvin to attend as a witness, he had failed to do so, and he could not serve a summons on the much-desir T ed person. .... In reply to Mr O'Leary,; Shaw stated that he was positive that Phyland did not say "I SNATCHED 'AT' THE NOTES."For the defence Mr O'Leary urged that Grinton was right when he said he would show McGarvin a trick with the notes, and he contended, that Grinton had proved very successful with his trick. Wm. Phyland gave evidence on his own behalf. He stated . that he and six others were drinking when Grinton professed to show McGarvin a trick with two notes. Witness thought it was all a joke and playfully snatched at the notes but did not take them. Indeed he considered that Grinton still had the notes. In reply to Sergeant Darby he denied having made the statement alleged to have been made by Cop Shaw to the effect that it was his duty to find the notes. His Worship said he must believe the constable, and fined Phyland 40s, m default seven days , and warned him to use care m select/ing his company.

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