THE SEPARATION.

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 4

THE SEPARATION.

HARP AND ITS PLAYER. . Two policemen returning to tho Lambton Station from street duty at 9 o'clock on Friday night carried between tueui a harp. Pcoplo asked what the instrument was charged with, and made other facetious remarks: but tho constables wore very grave. • Many a Wellington boy and girl, man, and woman, had heard that old Jinrp sing. Many a sunny day on the harbour waters its strings had niiido cheerier still. Often one lias' seen it with its rcd-baiso cover, moving slowly along tho street on tho bent back of a small and aged man. Few had over seen the two apart; tney wciq as things inseparable, Together they wero as familiar as the Quay itself; apart from ono another we would probably have recognised.neither. ■ On Friday evening the old man was knocked down by a motor-car, and a whilo later tho harp was taken. away alone. . • Tho minstrel was dead. In explaining how the accident occurred Stuart Nc-ish, tho driver of the- taxi, states that ho was driving round Stewart Dawson's corner behind a tram-car and on the'tram-lines, and when passing tho Burlington Cafe tho car • skidded, taking him by surprise, as he was only travelling at about four miles an hour. When ho woi straightening- the car iip ho noticed an old man carrying something on his shoulder (a harp). He was crossing tho road from tho Burlington Cafe towards tho Empire Hotel. He (tho driver) had previously sounded his horn, but his right hand.had been transferred to .the brake, and although ho managed to 1 pull the car up within a length or length and a half it was too late. Ho at one© went to the injured man's assistance, but a passenger who was in the taxi-cab reached him first. Tho man was taken at <jneo to the hospital,, after which ho reported the aiffair' to' tho police. -The occupants of the car were Olaf .Tacobsen, of Adelaide Road; James Tilyard, Miss Amy Tilyard, and Miss Graham, all'of Palm Grove, Befhampbrc.