••HE WAS THEN PUT IN GAOL,,!

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1623, 14 December 1912, Page 5

••HE WAS THEN PUT IN GAOL, , !

. AITOR WALKING THE PLANK. Drunken sailor performing .Blondin feats : • OTOr a: graTinß dock at midnight was the , feature, in the evidence -submitted at the Port Chalmers Court tho other day in respect-to a charge of drunkenness pre- ■. ferred against a seaman who.., pleaded vguiltyU; The arresting constable deposed. that the accused went aboard tho barque of-which lie. formed a member of tho crew at; a late hour the previous night, and in a hilarious state of intoxication.; He re's; fused to be quiet and retire to rest. About midnight lie quitted the company of his -.wakeful mates, made his Way .to the rail, and scrambled over the vessel's side. Aa the. vessel was in dock,. and the dock . was dry, the drunken man's shipmates . . coholuded ho had gone to : his .doom. As V-. they .peered.over,the rail where lie had disappeared in the darkness, they descried .the erring onesitting astride one of tho . wooden "shores" that served as props to ,&op the vessel in an upright position. A rope' was thrown to him, but he declined to touch it. By and by ho managed to stand upright on the 6in. wide "shore," and after steadying himself ; he essayed to walk along it to the. dock'side. .. As he walked he swayed from side to side. Near- '■■■ tag tho end of his perilous pathway, he took a lurch that threatened to land him a shapele® > heap "on tho. bottom ,of tho dock.-. Eealising in. some-dazed wa" his / danger, ho hurried his steps; as he grad- . ,v ually lost his balance, , and just', in time managed to save himself by grabbing the pard chain .on tho dock-side.. He was then lodged in gaol.