POT-HOUSE PLAY

NZ Truth, Issue 540, 23 October 1915, Page 7

POT-HOUSE PLAY

Woods the Worker's Square Stolen

"I Don't Like Losing My Tool."

(From "Truth's" Dunedin Rep.)

Billy* Cockran and Billy Woods -wore lubricating themselves In tho bar-room of tho "Cap'n Coote" Both were workin? hard, scrutinising the Insido bottom of tumbler after tumbler, but Billy Woods Bhowed other Indications of being 1 an excessive worker. His pockets were loaded -with tools — young' anws, sour- faced glmblats, n hammer and a rusty old "square." Suddenly tho hnnlworklng Woods missed "tho squaro" and at the same time ho twigged that Billy Cockran had left the bar. A. bobby was fetched, and matters developed »o rapidly that Cockran found himself last Monday exhibiting his proportion!) on the pedestal m tho Magistrate's Court before Mr. W. Y. Widdowson, S.M. Billy woods was m the witnessbox. Cockran was charged, with drunkenness and with PINCHING A CAUPENTER'S SQUARE, tho property of hard-working Woods. 1 Lawyer Scurr represented Cockran, who pleaded not guilty to tho theft Woods, the carpenter, said that he was having a few glasses In th© "Cap'n Cook," and he saw accused there also ! doing -the same. Ho knew Cockran. There was »ny amount of "larks" m tho bar, some of which did not please I witness. Suddenly he clapped his hand 'to his pocket, and realised that his valuable sQuaro was mlgßlnjr. and look. Ing round tho bar discovered that Coeknin was missing, too. Putting two und two together, ho reckoned that Cockran had "pinched his tool," and he might I aa well tell tho Court that ho "'didn't llko tho idea of losing his tool." He lodged a complaint m the pollco station UKainnt accused, but witness considered that the accused may have pinched his woapon "FOR A. LARK." : Inspector Brobergr: Indeed! When i did you make up your mind that it was all a lark?— At the tune. Oh! And that wa« why at the time you lodged a cluirgo of ihoft against Cockrnn, signing v statement too? — I told you. didn't I, that I dldu'^ llko losing my tool? Conatabta Sorrel said that accused was drunk m th« bar of the hotel when ho um*sl«?d him. and Woods, the worker, was under fh<* Influonoi*. The B,M, dismissed th«« charge of theft ami Unt'U CocKrun &/- for UttVlng over-loaded ittmHe.lt with booze. Woods trot hi* rimy sqiuu-o back.