THE LOST CHORD

NZ Truth, Issue 997, 3 January 1925, Page 8

THE LOST CHORD

AN ENDURANCE TEST INTER- ■■■ L.UDE. ■-.-.. ..

James Moritecino writes expressing the hope that we will publish his version of the incident m Christchurch when, during a piano-playing "endurance test," he left the piano m order to eject "an objectionable person." The writer describes how a party of men entered the shop about midnight and tried to take charge. "They made a raid on two bottles of port "wine kept on a table . with medicines, and 'pinched' my bottle of smelling salts. • . . I called m the police and asked them to clear my shop. They said they could do nothing but ask them to go outside, and .with that went away. "After a short period, the crowd dwindled away, all save oiie, a big ex-Navy nian, said to be a champion m the Navy. The same man, I may mention, was m at the same hour previously, and had caused a nuisance every time he came m. "I was playing- some ragtime tune when he marched over towards where I was playing, saying, 'Oh, she was playing for him,' meaning a lady who was sitting by me with some 1 friends. "He then made a remark to a Maori there that he was a 'dirty stinlUn' dago,' like, the joker at the piano. ■ "This was enough for me. ... I jumped from the piano and caught the intruder with a couple of beauties, when a policeman who just happened to look m rushed m and caught hold of me. Already I had 'done my block,' and before I knew who was holding me 1 had the constable over my head, gasping' on the floor. (Hence the policeman tripping stuff published by you.) The big joker, getting clear, made a bolt for the door and I made after him. I caught him outside, but the policeman and my attendants had by this time got hold of me. ' ■ •■■ "I knew no more till next evening, and I immediately made it] known that I was interfered with and. , I would start again. "I started and broke down after 43 hours. - "I played 65 hours the first time and 43 the second, and I had' seven hours' legitimate sleep m a bed m my hotel. Is there anything wrong with /that?"