A MIDNIGHT MARATHON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17780, 31 January 1920, Page 5

A MIDNIGHT MARATHON.

300 YARDS IX 35 SECS. EXCITING CHASE AFTER A SNEAK THIEF. As the manager of a well-known local mercantile firm was returning in his motor car to his garage in Dublin Street on Thursday night, he noticed a man coolly walking out of the alleyway at the side of the garage with a tin of benzine on his shoulder. The owner of the car immediate ly turned, and, switching on the ful strength of his lights, followed th< impudent thief. The latter, whet the car was almost up to him, suddenly heaved the tin of benzine over an iron fence into a section, and started up the street at his best pace. The local business man. who, in his day, was a very fair athlete, set sail in pursuit. But it is a good many years since he cut out the 100 yaqjs in 10 2-sth, and he was rapidly losing ground in the race with the thief, to whom fear lent wings. At this stage, a well-known allround athlete happened along. “Catch him” panted the mercantile manager pointing to the fleeing fugitive from justice, “I caught him getting off with a tin of beuzine out of my garage.” With this, the newcomer in the evening drama, who is a prominent performer on local cricket and golf fields, set off hot foot after the limit man, who by this time had a clear lead of 150 yards.

Getting well into his best stride, the athlete rapidly overhauled his quarry, and was just about to pounce upon him, when the latter cleverly side-stepped, and the avenging pursuer went bump into the fence at the Girls’ College. Doubling like a hare, the delinquent set off down the middle of the road, and neither of his pursuers had sufficient breath left in them to join iu further pursuit. The mercantile manager emphati. cally declares that he intends to go along to the next spr-ts meeting and watch the different styles of the crack long distance sprinters, as he is certain that if his man is a competitor he will be able to pick him by his style and staying power. The practice of stealing benzine, it is stated, is all too common in Wanganui at present, and it is a pity that this guilty party, who was actually caught in the very act on Thursday night, could not have been captured and made an example of.