A FLITTING FIVER

NZ Truth, Issue 890, 16 December 1922, Page 7

A FLITTING FIVER

Paulson the Pincher

Smacked For Smart Work.

When- a mug gets into a pub flashing tenners and leaving his change lying on the counter; he is* liable to lose some of it, and this is exactly what happened to a contractor named George Jacobs, who got too many drinks m him on Saturday afternoon last and started "Bhouting" for" all and sundry m the Market Hotel, Auckland. Geoi-ge pulled out a tenner (from his sock, one witness stated) and flung it on the counter with the air of a Rothschild. The licensee served four drinks and placed a £5 note, four £1 notes, a 10s note and some Bilver I on the counter as the due change. But George was too busy talking to hurry to pick it up. and John Hilmer Paulson; a Norwegian sailor out of a job, kindly started to count it to see if it was right. "He's given you a fiver short," said Paulson, whereupon Jacobs turned around and, glancing at the money, roared for the licenseeJust then Paulson grew tired of drinking jail of a sudden and made off without finishing his half-handle. But they found him m the street trotting off with a man named Dan South, who is as well-known to the police as the clock on the Perry Buildings. The Norwegian was persuaded to come back to the pub. where he denied all knowledge of the fiver, swearing black was white that the licensee, had only doled out £4 odd to Jacobs. He had left his beer because,; he reokoned, he "j had had enough. . The police were j called In to help solve : the "mystery,"' ! and they took Paulson away to the lock-up, where he was searched, - but the devil a bit more than ninepence did they find on the foreigner, though they stripped him naked. Still, this didn't get Paulson out of the mud, for he was charged with the theft of the fiver nevertheless, and on Monday morning he was brought beforS the Magistrate to be further interrogated. It was emphatically asserted by the licensee of the hotel that he put the, full change, of the tenner, including a five pound note, qn the counter, and this was borne out by an independent witness, who saw Paulson affectionately playing with the notes. as soon as the back of the busy boss- was turned, Paulson gave evidence swearing that the licensee put the 'change on the counter and he obligingly counted it for Jacobs, to see • that it was right. He found it to be five pounds short, and said so. Then he. just slipped away because he reckoned he had had enough beer for one day and intended to wend his weary way home. In truth, he would have been home but for the fact that he met Dan Smith, and Dan invited him to come along to another pub and have a final beer or two before turning it m for the afternoon. Then Senior- Sergeant Rawle asked Paulson some pertinent questions, one being as to whether he knew that Sriiith had a list ot 106 convictions for yarious offences. "And, queried the Senior, "do you know anything against your own character?" "No," returned Paulson, innocently. The Senior then handed up a 'little record of 11 convictions against Paulson since he landed m New Zealand, all of which the accused had to admit to. . ' "Why did you leave your glass cf beer?" inquired the Magistrate. "Because I had had quite isufficient — and I did not like the brand of beer at that hotel," replied the unblushing Paulson. i Sergeant Rawle: How many did you have? Paulson: Three. Sergeant Rawle: And it was not until the fourth that you found out that you didn't like -it? — Yes. The Magistrate: Why did you tell the police that you left because you had enough, and then as soon as Smith asks you to go and have another you are prepared to go? < No answer. The Magistrate: I am quite satisfied that there was a £5 note m the change. This man handled it and then disappeared, declaring nfter that he went boause he didn't want any more beer. I am convinced that he took the note and got rid of it outside. He is convicted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labor.