RYAN'S PIECE

NZ Truth, Issue 1152, 29 December 1927, Page 6

RYAN'S PIECE

He Was A Walker,

Was Richard

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Wellington Rep ; )

Anyone who knows hilly and scattered Wellington will appreciate tjhe fact that it is a fair walk round Happy Valley, through Karori and back to the city.

•THAT was a little jaunt over which «*■ Richard Edward Ryan, 65 years of age, was wont to occupy himself during the silent watches of the night. So it was Stated in evidence in the Wellington Police Court last week, when Ryan was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond without sufficent visible means of support. His nightly tramp over, he used to sleep in a dty billiard-room by day. Ryan has been an Inmate of the Ohiro Home, but apparently he did not like the environment and departed. The day he left, he went to the races. NOW, MR. HICKS! Ryao became quite noisy when Manager Hicks- of the Ohiro Home stepped into the box. "You say I never did any work," he barked, "What about 'the six hours' work I did hanging that door? What about that, eh!" You are not speaking the truth, Mr. Hicks; you know you're not. "When the sergeant spoke to you about taking me baok into the Home, , didn't he say: 'Will you take him back again, Mr. Hicks,' and didn't you say: Urn ah, eh,' you Know you did Mr. Hicks. "And didn't the sergeant say: 'Then we will ;have to vag him?,' You have not spoken the truth, Mr. Hicks.' 1 Ryan became very verbose, his loud voice trying to drown the orderly's stentorian "Silence" much to the amusement of those in court. And Manager Hicks stepped down from the box still followed by a battery of accusing words from the irate prisoner. Magistrate Page thought the charge was proven and also that Ryan's conduct during the twelve months he was in the Home had not been satisfactory, so he sent him to a different one for three months.