A GALLANT CONSTABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 61

A GALLANT CONSTABLE.

CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR. WELLINGTON, October 12. His Excellency the Governor, Knight of Justice of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, this afternoon, at Government House, presented Constable Sleeth with the certificate of honour of the order for bravery in rescuing a child from certain death. Lord Islington said that, in compliance with a command from his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught, Grand Prior of St. John of Jerusalem in England, he had much pleasure in conferring upon . Constable Sleeth this certificate in recognition of his conspicuous bravery. On November 6, 1910, a tramcar from Lamb ton quay was travelling towards Willis street, when a small child, ran in front of it. The conbtable rushed across the street and pulled the child from almost, underneath the wheels of the car, and in doing so endangered his own life. By his courageous action he had saved the child from what otherwise would have been perhaps a most distressing death. The Order of St. John of Jerusalem,. in addition to the various institutions connected with it, both for ambulance work and nursing and charitable aid undertakings, had established an award of various degrees for acts of gallantry in attempting to save life. These were annually presented by the Grand Prior to those who had earned them and were resident in England, but when the recipient was resident in one of the dominions of the Empire, as in the present case, the Grand Prior asked the Governor of the dominion, as the King's representative, to present it on behalf of his Royal Highness. This he had great • pleasure in doing, and in offering his congratulations to the recipient.