HIS HOLIDAY

NZ Truth, Issue 1144, 3 November 1927, Page 7

HIS HOLIDAY

Arthur Ryan Does It In Style

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auck-

land Rep.)

There recently arrived at an hotel m Devonport, Auckland, a distinguished guest, who, after inquiring about the tariff, said he would be staying for several months. THE perfect host, Henry Rider, 1 licensee of the hotel, affably inquired of the new arrival the reason for his indefinite stay. "I am an inspector of railways," informed the important one. "I have come to take charge of the deviation at O'Neill's point" — and an arm was nonchalantly waved m the direction of Campbell's Point! However, the hotel -keeper attached but little importance to the mistake, thinking it was merely the erroneous sense of direction of a stranger. "Luggage?" Oh, yes; that would be along next day and the "inspector" was duly booked up at 12/- a day. This suited him admirably, he told his host, as he was receiving 11/- a day travelling expenses and would therefore have only 1/- a day to pay from his pocket. Just to clinch negotiations, a casual remark was dropped about having to confer with the divisional superintendent and other officials of the Railway Department. Rider was convinced that here indeed was "a man of substance." That night the "guest" ordered six bottles of ale, but instead of paying cash for it like any common-place patron, the order was booked up by the visitor signing his name to a card — really a most aristocratic style of doing business. If the visitor had not been so loquacious upon the supposed nature of his visit, perhaps the licensee would not have had his suspicions aroused quite so early m the piece. Then, when a telephone message came .through about a cheque for the new boarder and the voice at the other end sounded extremely like that of the "guest" himself, well — there was nothing else for it.

HECTIC WEEKS

That night, Arthur James Ryan (32) — for the "guest" was none other — who later described himself as an electrician employed at the Newmarket workshops, again requested the services of the little card; this time, m exchange for his signature, he requested a bottle of whisky. Pie didn't get it, however, the hotelkeeper had been busy malting other arrangements. One other thing that had excited Rider's distrust of his new visitor was the fact that when Ryan was entertaining a friend, he betrayed himself by not showing a true form of social etiquette; he actually sat down without seeing to it that his companion also had a seat. So instead of a bottle of spirits Ryan was treated to an interview with a police constable, who subsequently arrested him. When Ryan made his appearance before Magistrate Hunt at the Auckland Police Court on a charge of obtaining credit by fraud, Lawyer Fraer, on his behalf, pleaded that the whole affair was the outcome of a couple of hectic weeks that Ryan had been pleased to define as a holiday. Ryan, said counsel, had wages owing to him and he was willing and able to pay the hotel-keeper. Probation Officer Campbell knew something about the accused, although he considered his whole trouble to be attributable to drink. Ryan had previously been m an asylum and on the island. After being remanded for several days for sentence, Ryan again appeared and was faced with another charge of issuing a valueless cheque. Counsel stated that the cheque was only another bit of foolishness on the part of accused during his muddled state. The money owing to the hotel had been paid and he asked that his client's efforts to keep straight during the last 15 months be taken into consideration. A fine of £ 5 or fourteen days' imprisonment was imposed on the charge of issuing a valueless cheque. Ryan was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon on the other charge.