HIS FIRST BURGLAR

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1196, 30 November 1901, Page 5

HIS FIRST BURGLAR

Clerks of local bodies who go on the spree and get muddled up in their accounts have no better show with Judge Denniston than persons of lowlier positions who do similar things. The clerk of the Akaroa Road Board was sentenced the other day to six months' hard labour for misappropriating the Board's money while under the influence of liquor. Of course, drunkenness was, put in as an excuse for the crime,, and probation was applied for ; but the Judge was deaf to both* excuse and entreaty. The defalcations were due,, it appears, more to neglect than wilfulness, so it's as well to know that drunkenness is not only no excuse for crime, but is also no excuse for criminal care-

lessness.

Major W. P. Richardson, adjutant of the National Rifle Association of England, who has just arrived in this colony, is on a visit in connection with operations in oil-boring in Poverty Bay by a British syndicate. The Major is one of the big ship-owners of the Old Country, and last year captained an English team of shooting men who went to America, Avhen they beat the Americans rather badly, and while the team made a record score Major Richardson was at the top of the list, besides which he has twice tied for the Queen's prize. So, if he is lucky, he will be good in ships, sjiots and shale.

Detective Mcllveney did a bit of the Sherlock Holmes business over the Rew burglary the other night. A dozen policemen and civilians had pottered around for three solid hours, studying a hat and pair of boots, looking through a tin hole, etc., when " Mac " was called frorn^ his bed. He got his nose low down on those boots for a start. "GreaKe! These are butcher's boots. . A youth, Rides. Carries weights on one side — basket, I should say. Butcher lives next door — let's, see nim." "Mac" and another cHmfcod up the next door batcher's backjAbairs, and saw a young man in bed. out?" "No," came the anpi/eJr. "Socks dirty ?" "Ob, yes — we j»t to back- yard. " ' • Carry candle V ' "No." "Then what's canale-grease dp ing on socks ? Been on a walk with toots 00?" said Mac. And then- there

Mfas. a 'collapse.' In the morning, a ypijtlf r.6Be down to his butchering r'flpilfi&uiapair of large boots, '"Mac ';"^33efTliiua down, ana fitted the find on b :ltasstrtlr'Er shaking feet. They fitted like a glove, and then all was up.

The death a few weeks ago of Mr John McDonald, of Waihi, had a lamentable sequel last week in Auck : land. During his illness a younger sister, a novitiate in the Ponsonby Convent, expressed a strong desire to see him, and obtained the necessary permission. She arrived in Waihi as the evening of her brother's day was closing, and after his death the shock to her system, none too strong, was so great that she became hysterical, and died as above in St. Mary's Convent, Ponsonby.

It is worthy of note that the May"or of the city, Mr Alfred Kidd, is among the first to open a subscription for the benefit / of the more unfortunate of those who have suffered by the recent

earthquake. The sum of unmerited injury inflicted on. some of the sufferers amounts moist to rain. The results of much self-denial, of years of arduous labour and careful economy have been overthrown by an event which no prescience could predict nor prudence foresee. We accord ' our hearty sympathy to the undertaking in the hope that those who have been overthrown may be again set on their feet and enabled to resume their usual avocations through the practical expression of sympathy of their more fortunate fellow-colonists.

Messrß Ferguson and Co. have, we understand, commenced operations on the new St. Matthew's Church without waiting to make up the deficit of Dr Bakewell's neglected sixpence, and it will be a source of unmitigated joy to all countries south of the Line to learn that the Sacred Fane will be con-f-tructed ofjO.K. Oamaru stone. The meaning of "0.X." is lost in impenetrable oblivion, unless it means "oil korrect." Should this be the case we shall be glad, and with the pillar of the Church— the Rev. Gillam — inside, andO. K. stone outside, things ought to boom with the St Matthew Anglicans. Our little office boy writes : —

This is the building prevented by Burtt, Who, 'twould seem, very greatly the feelings had " hurtt Of some folks in St. Matthews's parish, Who thought they'd been treated like "durtt."

Mr Nepean Kenny, whose attenuated and familiar form is so well-known by the habitues of the National Bank, has recently earned for himself the title of the " Bank Jockey," and he is quite proud of it. How he came by the decoration is worth relating. He was sent down to Paeroa to relive an official who was away, and one fine morning, having gone to Waihi on horseback, he decided on going further, and undertook the journey from that place to Katikati, a distance of thirty miles. Nepean kept the orthodox road all the way, and arrived at his destination in safety. But Nepean is adventurons, and on the way back he bethought himself that he would forsake the long and monotonous main road and try a shorter cut, by way of the gullies and mountains, and make a bit of history. Well, he made that history, and this

story is written to 'wkw-'*tisißfe who go from Katiltati'to WftM' lad «re simu&riy^am^itibni. - ■:•• -V'r'-. $ : : ■/.■:■.-•♦ v> : >■'•-■ ,-■.•*•■■",.?'';,< ? . ' The < g?oufid .'along th'ii;-«,\^ly ir ■ awfully pie^cnuty^ and U pftz2fti ; to • gewlogietß, and; anyone ttite to ' get over - it f alto in some feet. tefx>«e > he reaches bottom. That vu <jh«

fate of Nepean. He was getting on splendidly, and thinking of the record he was putting up, when all at once the sky seemed to raise itself higher, and down went the horse, and Nepean with it, to the afore-mentioned depth.

Surrounded by wastes and mountains, and with not a soq! within njifoa, the plight was a sad one. Bat with the presence qf mind that' he V renowned for, the horseman was quickly dismounted, and in less than no time those long nether limbs were at workr crashing through the crust in front of the horse and making a channel for i\. to pass along on to terra firm* by» Collapses succeeded one after the other; at intervals, with the same dismounting and the same channelling, until the mountains were reached. Even then the troubles of Nepean were not over. -

Horse and rider got tangled amount' the supplejacks and things, and the horiie got that way that he wouldn't : budge, andNepean left him tahidfifte ; ; «. ■•, .*. . . .+. ;?■'-. \:. .With night well on, the ahorf,ou&w essayed the rest of the jwrney on foot, ' and about one in the pd*nSng he art rived at Waihi, where be slioulcf have been at fgufr «n the- previous aftirnoon,, H^w did Nepiean loo%? '"WflL"' 1 -' ■ .we girl th*t:!t»ves hiui best--and heis .Jovetf bjr theni^ all— would not have known him. That" is how he lookedBut the feat lifts not been lost toi fame. His fellow-clerks have resolvttT if they have uot already done so; to present him withVfeorse in place irf tlie one that he lost; and to cotiMr upon him the title of "the banT^ jockey." "*?«*.