A TELEPHONIC TRICKSTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 264, 16 July 1910, Page 6

A TELEPHONIC TRICKSTER.

♦■ How to Live though Stony. Bark Through the Telephone. A middle-aged individual named Arthur Farquhar Doyle, much frayed about the edges 1 and reduced m circumstances, struck an excellent method m Tim-am of living on the fat of the land for a brief period. He presented himself at the Hibernian Hotel of M. J. O'Doitnell and asked for accommodation, but the licensee turned the glazed eye of indifference on 'him and the deaf ear of mistrust was projected m the tramp's direction. Doyle we,nt round the corner and thought hard, then borrowed- five minutes at the nearest telephone. -He was Ernest Doyle, he told O'Dqnnell, over the wire, and wanted tnc publican to put up his brother. Mow, Ernest is a well-known personage, has a little place out of town, and commanded the respect of O'Donnelil, who accommodated the dubious other Doyle when he called, a second time. vrive 'him what ne requires," said ttie pseudo Ernest through the 'phone, and Boniface did. 'Hie elderly • fraud told O'Donnell that he had been m- ' jured m the Bealey tunnel, and as a person named Doyle had actually been buried two or three days m the long drive, the waster had no difficulty m borrowing three guineas from the warm-hearted Irishman. There was plenty of additional evidence of bona fides. Ex-t ec Mtztierald talked softly over the wire, . and Dr.. Colquhoun, of Dunedin, had an interesting conversation with O'Donnell. He was stopping ; at Ernest Doyle's little place m the country, and as they were leaving for town that mornipg their gig collided with a motor-car, and Ernest had his leg broken m the resulting smash-up. Unfortunately, they couldn't get into town for two or three days, and Ernest was anxious about his brother Arthur Farquhar. "Keep the old man, and give -him everything he asks for," said the doctor. "His brother is worth thousands. 1 ' The medico added : "By the way, don't allow him to go out to his brother, as it would only annoy him m his present condition." The thing was top successful and Doyle, like others of 'his Kidney, overreached himself. Apparently speaking from Temuka, Dr. Colxfuhoun advised O'Donnell to lend his unprofitable boarder £21). O'Donnell, still unsuspecting, thought this rather much for present needs, and sig- . gested £10. Another voice here obtruded itself and said it belonged to Hislop, stationmaster at Temuka. "Is that you, O'Donnell ?" it queried. "1 Know the doctor well, and Doyle too," it proceeded. "The doctor will, pay all right. You should be quite satisfied, and don't . be barking so much." O'Donnell said "Ail right," but immediately suspected. Why should Hislop address him m such a familiar way and tell him not to be "barking" so much ? Why "barlcing," anyway? He rang up Hishop at Temuka railway station, and the official promptly replied, "1 don't know any such man m the world." Then Arthur Farquhar's potato was cooked. He pleaded guilty to charges of idle and disorderly conduct and obtaining board and cash by false pretences, but sentence was deferred while the Finger Print Department was written to.