"I WANT MY CLOTHES!"

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1433, 7 May 1912, Page 4

"I WANT MY CLOTHES!"

SCENE AT PUBLIC HOSPITAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, May 6, On Friday, Thomas M'Glyan was convicted at the Police Court of having been disorderly and drunk at tho Auckland Hospital. He explained that ho had gone back for certain clothes that bo hud worn when ho went into the hospital as a patient, and which could not bo found when he received his discharge. At midnight on Saturday ho had turned up again with one arm m a sling and an expression of agony on his faco—the result of a fall, he said. Tho sister in charge soon discovered that tho alleged injury was merely a fraud, whereupon M'Glynn smiled benignly, and presented a card on which was written, "I want my clothos, and I won't be happy till I get them." Ho was told that his clothcs could not be found, but he argued and argued, and persisted till tho police were telephoned for, and, this morning, ho made his second bow to tho Police Court Bench, his introduction this time being a charge that he was a rogue end a vagabond, Hi that he had been found by night on tho premises of the Auckland Hospital BoardSergeant MacKinnon commented on tho impropriety of having scenes created at a place liko the hospital, and called evidence in which it was suggested that accused's mental balance was somewhat tilted. , . Then M'Glynn quietly went oyer the old ground of tho loss of his clothes. Ho went, into tlia hospital, he said, the possessor of a suit three weeks of age, the usual underclothing, and accessories of attire for hoad and foot, in addition to some papers of valuo to him. hen the time came for his discharge, ail that could be found of his possessions were a pair of boots, a shirt, and ' a copy ot out Omar Khayyam's 'Rubaiyat. "I don t know if that would cover my nakedness, remarked the prisoner in passing rcierence to the literary classic. M'Glvnn also stated that tilings in the institution were not. what one 11 o<nu expect to find in "God s own country. Other patients had lost ihctr clothe?, and ho know of two men who had gone out of the, hospital bareheaded, and »> - o women who had left without frocks because their clothes could not ito found. Ho suggested that poopie other than tnose at the hospital had access to die property cupboard, and remarked that the simpv in charge had repudiated responsibility because there were no keys to tho locks. Personally he had been accommodated with the loan of clothes, but ho had no wish to wear dead men s clothos. 110 also stated that he had interviewed members of the board, and hart been told that . snec'al inquiry would be made into Ji< matter, "and 'into my state of mind, • suppose," lie added. Hi- right tiiis lime, lor the Bench adjourned llie im-i' for " «'<;<*, during which tin-'- M'tilvnu was on.eml Io be detained for medical observ.uun.