AN UNDESIRABLE VISITOR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6885, 21 June 1890, Page 3

AN UNDESIRABLE VISITOR.

A "bird of passage," who was arrested at " the Hub " yesterday on warrant from a northern town, caused a little mild excitement amongst the business people of Eangiora on Thursday by his efforts to part company with a valueless cheque which he had drawn on " self " for £3. He came from Chrisfcchurch the previous day, and with the aid of a gentlemanly addresß, a case of visiting cards, and the use of the name of a gentleman of good position in the town with whom he went to school, he managed to mate an impresaion which he imagined was good enough to tak6 advantage of in what Beems to have been a usual sort of way with him. However, his fame as a negotiator of valueless paper somehow quickly followed him from the city, and he became an object of interest to some of the business people, and also to Constable Coetin. Early on Thursday evening, our hero evidently decided that the replenishing of his exchequer, brought to a low ebb owing to his taking frequent observations through the bottom of a tumbler, demanded his immediate and serious attention. Filling in a Colonial Bank cheque for £3 at a stationer's shop, two neighbouring tradesmen the while viewing hia actions through the window with countenances upon which virtuous horror, and bursting excitement struggled hard for mastery, he sallied for^h to do bußineßß. The prospect of turning the paper into coin of the realm was anything but bright, seeing that the tradesmen aforementioned gave the soles of their feet no rest until they bad spread the information of the 000 l preparations of the "audacious scamp." He first tried on his little game at a bootmaker's shop. Selecting a pair of superior boots, he tendered the cheque. The bootmaker eyed it with a solemn face, and, with a voice to correspond, regretted that he had recently deprived himeelf of the pleasure of accommodating j his customers with change for cheques. The gentleman, taking the cue, folded hiß cheque, and silently stole away into the night. His efforts to quit the paper at two or three other business premises near by proved equally futile, but on moving further afield he fared better, a knight of the pestle and mortar being so much taken with his gentlemanly manner as to accommodate him with two or three little artiolea and 30s, the balance of the change to be handed over the following morning. The gentleman did not, however, trouble himself further about the transaction. Rising the following morning considerably in advance of mine host of the hotel he patronised, who is not in the habit of looking for early worms, he took train for the city. He must have had a premonition of coming evil. It was on board the up train in the shape of Detective Benjamin, j armed with a warrant for his arrest. Frostbeclouded windows and tha trains crossing at Southbrook saved him from the Detective, and gave him a few more hours of liberty. Leaving the train at Addington, he boarded the express, bound for the South. The telegraph was too quick for him, however, and at Aehburton he received a gentle intimation from a man in bine that he was wanted. It is almost needless to add that the iJ3 cheque is still in possession of the party who cashed it ; and the only consolation he has is that he was not the only person victimised, report having it that two or three Christchurch business men can also produce slips of paper which cost them dear.