METHODIST MEN’S CLUB

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18192, 13 September 1933, Page 2

METHODIST MEN’S CLUB

monthly meeting ADDRESS BY MR. D. D. HUTTON The monthly meeting of the Methodist Men’s Club was held in the Bright street schoolroom Inst evening. About 45 men sat down to a hot tea at 6 o clock. Viter brief business had been coud\isted, a community sing was led by Mr. A. C. Coleman, with Mrs. H. Darnell at the piano. Following this, Mi. Fraser, the chairman for the evening, welcomed the speaker, Mr. D. D. Hutton, ex-police inspector, at the same time telling some humorous stories, which were much appreciated. Taking for his subject “Some. Leases from a Police Officer’s Note-Book. Mr. Hutton recounted interesting experiences of his own career. He explained that he- was going to narrate the ordiiiarj life of a policeman, hut would talk also of some of the more unusual branches o the profession. ~ One would think that any person could collect dog taxes, he said. He had some interesting experiences, howetei, even in this occupation. On one occasion he went to a Maori pa 'and could see no dogs A Maori told him, however, to ?ve an old Maori lady he saw squatting against a wall a so, and found that she was hiding two fox terriers and a sheep dog. Mr Hutton then related anecdoes concerning the search for missing friends, and told how he had been instrumental in finding an old hermit who was Jiving alone at Island Bay, and who was inquired for by his brother a lord m Ireland The man explained that Ins wild and vicious youth had been followed b\ a severe accident, from which he did not think at the time that he could recover. He vowed that if he should get well he would crucify his flesh for the sake ot iiis soul and live in solitude. He was persuaded to return home, but alter lo months went and lived as a hermit once Another amusing incident Mr. Hutton related concerning a notorious cmei or a gang of forgers, whom he was escorting bv train from Palmerston North to Wellington. The man told him that the previous time lie had travelled over that route he and another had done so with one ticket. He exchanged the story for a packet of cigarettes. He gave the ticket to his friend and made him sit near the limit of the train. He took a small piece out of the corner of the ticket and walked down the train’ to near the back carriage, The guard caught him trying to dodge lnm. “But I have paid my fare and given you niv ticket,” said the man. The guard refused to believe him. “Well,’ said the forger, “I had the ticket in my mouth and absent-mindedly chewed a piece of it. Look in your bag and see ii you have one with a corner torn oil.’ Hip guard produced the ticket, whereupon the man fitted the piece into the corner and threatened to report him. Speaking of the experience to Sir Thomas Wilford, Mr. Hutton was told that the same forger and his companion had met Sir Thomas in Capetown, and after driving him round the town in a beautiful carriage showed him a bankbook with a balance of £2-0,000 to £30,000. Sir Thomas knew that they had left Wellington gaol only a year before. “Yet the police do not only seek to put men's heads in the noose,” continued the lecturer, who then told of a case in which he had been engaged, and by which a child had been saved from neglect and, perhaps death, by police intervention.

At the conclusion of the address Mr. Hutton was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. It was decided that Mr. H. Poole should he chairman for next month’s meeting.