ABSTRACTED ALEXANDER.

NZ Truth, Issue 250, 9 April 1910, Page 6

ABSTRACTED ALEXANDER.

Pays a Little Visit.

Causes Quite a Flutter m the Dovecote,

An individual named Alexander Norton was charged m the S.Bl.'s Court, Christchurck, last week, . with breaking aad en? tering.. the dwelling, at. 'Fendaitori, of Miss Kate Gerrard with intent to commit a : crime therein. When arrested, Alexander's intellect seemed tone on the loose, and a,- remand was granted to have him medically examined. When. 116 was subsequently charged, Station-Sergeant Johnston said, the doctor's report, favored the suspicion that on tbe evening of the occurrence Nortonts mental condition was not entirely normal. ,He asked permission to have the charge reduced to one of being iHegaliy on premises. . Solicitor 'Slater appeared more as a friendly apologist •- than as professional adviser) and told Messrs Wallace and Seager, J.'sP., that he was surprised to see Alexander,' occupying the prisoner's dock, r He thought there mast ,he some mistake. To his knowledge, Alexander sometimes suffered from delusions, .due probably to tb.e drink. The , elderly lawyer had watched the efforts of Alexander >: to make ■ himself a respectabie member of society, and, he was certain that a serious charge like this couldn't be laid at his door. Last week it struck Slater, from the dilly remarks of accused, that he was again the prey of de- : lusions, but he could assure the bench , that no man had tried- n? ore than Alexander to avoid the flowing tankard. Slater was astonished to find him m this • position, and he confessed that it was a ' great ,: to him. Alexander.' who said "heah" for "here. " like a 'cultured -person, supposed he wouhl plead guilty to the reduced charge;, but assumed ' that he was suffering qccan the pernicious effects of hdoze at the 'feme. A middle-aged man- named Wilfrejd Hail said he was a- guest, with others,; m 'the dwelling ,of Miss Gerrard on the fflaght of March 23, when someone reported that there, a'iman m ( the house. ■ He was discovered by the party and stood around passively and without explanation. He ! did no damage, and made lio remark ; he just stood around, until the silence he-; came' oppressive, Avhen he asked for Atr i Gexrard, who was. also a guest. Gjer- ! rard appeared, and, Alexander looked at! him m silence. Kcquested to mention bis business, .^exandcr encored his silence, and, still silent,' was pushed out of the heuse by Gerrard. He remained nearthe front door, where, pushed, wittiout mating any remark, and stood looking thoughtfully into space while the police were sent for. Gerrard and Hall stood outside the door with their eyes gfoed on the pensive figure, which emitted no sound.- Hall ■ smelt him, and could, detect no odor of swanfcey/ and. concluded that the silent one had "done his black," to use an ungrammatical vulgarism, and was' ripe for the asylum. Norton visited the house. once previously and asked for Hiss Gerrard, but she refused to see Mm and required a guarantee that she . wouldn't' ¥c .molested . by • him again. • Constable Harvey offered Alexander, lodgings for the: night, an& vrifih someJ difficulty extracted the raforma&on that;' the Sphinx had called to see Mr Ger-' rard. ' ' The hench demanded a guarantee from. Norton and his solicitor that' the former wouldn't trouble the / Genard mansion again, and after adyisin^; Alexander to the simple Hfe m -tike country, and foreswear booze, the J^sP. ■ dismissed the information.