DASTARDLY DILLON.

NZ Truth, Issue 570, 20 May 1916, Page 6

DASTARDLY DILLON.

A Good Samaritan Complimented. The next gentleman to receive attention was a bad lot named John Dillon. His particular stunt was assault and robbery. He came from the | Arcadian fields of Seven Dials, Poplar, ! or somewhere,, and pleaded not guilty* The story la to the effect that he met a middle-aged gentleman named George Lewjs Raddon, and they laved, their throttles with some of "Mr. Booze's" decoctions. Then they adjourned to the shooting gallery where John demonstrated his ability to cope with Jess Willard by registering tenhorso.power punches on. the machine. Possibly he was getting In trim for the assault which followed, for he fol,lowed his friend home and conversed with him on tho price of blacking, the war and other trivialities. When he arrived at Allen-street he dealt out a quantity of mixed atoush to his friend, and just as that individual was about to bestow a "bob" or two ojn, him. for a corpse-reviver. Then ho PUT THE LEATHER IN and .dealt 1 out battery' m such large quantities that poor George Lewis t ßandon remembered very little of the events which -succeeded on 'the fatal night of March 25. Luckily for George ho hod very little cash, but he carried .1 "a bank book of the post office variety ; and John jaunted with that. Henry James Harper was going home on his bicycle and he saw Dillon doing the deed, so he after him per bike. When tho accused got to the shrubbery at tho junction of Taranakt-strcet and Courtenay-place he hoisted tho bank book Into the shrubbery and bolted into a convenience. Harper went to tho ' police station, and Constable Pearso whipped out- and soon whipped John m. John made no explanation to tb© other "John." y Then 'the minion of tho law, wont out, and with tho aid of Mr. -Harper, they brought George Lewis to tho station. Here it was found that ho. was ,a conglomerated mass of blood and bruises, vttth a few odd cuts, thrown' in. ' ■ ■ John made an attempt at a defence which was about as futile as trying to swim- up tho Niagara Falls or attempting to bounce a brick* Be thought the bank book was a packet of post-carda. Ho had not taken Jt; | Raddon gave it to hfm while be was demonstrating his ability to assault at the punching machine. He- c.er- ' tulnly did pass a couplo to bis friend because that gentleman had CALLED HIM A LONDON WASTER, and then he remembered that he-bad tfuiuo dorrospoiidcnco to attend to and he felt (for his post-cards as ho wanted to write homo. That . was alll, Ho handed up a document to hi* Honor, which was supposed to toll of his virtues, but it did not aoein to Impress Sir Robert Stout to any extent Ho complimented tho witness Harper for the assistance he had rendered, and told Mr, Dillon thai wtum he (his Honor) first come to New Zealand. In tho good old days, that he (John Dillon) would htvvo been llubl« to iropri*bmn<«nt for llfo for such an of-: foflco. Stretches of "seven" years were leniences In thoso days* for assault and robbery. Doing bargain time ho would out things down a bit for John and handed him out IS months' hard.