A SAD STORY OF WANT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1201, 6 March 1885, Page 4

A SAD STORY OF WANT.

At the Woolwich Police Court on December 24th John Black (46) was charges with begging trom door to door He had this appliance and manner of an intelligent working man, and his case excited much sympathy in Court. When taken into custody he thankel the constable for arresting him, and said he wished he had boon sent to prison six weeks ago This he repeated to the magistrate (Mr Balgny), adding: “Prison must be very bad if it is worse than what I have had to endure, for I have walked 800 mile, in search of work, day after day alike, never earning a penny, and \ cry nearly starved.” Mr Balguy : And so you may go on foi a thousand miles longer. A man who is thrown «,m of work just now has very little 1..,pc. Why don’t you go to the v. oV it house 1 The defendant: The workhouse is not for an able bodied man like me, able and willing to work. Besides, lam only one out of thousands ci men out of work all over the country. All the workhouses will not hold half of us. 1 saw hundreds and hundreds at the docks this morning, fighting for the chance of an hour’s work,—Mr Balguy : f I discharge you, what will you do 1 -Defendant: I don’t know j I was thinking o£ going to Porta* mouth and then on to Cardiff, for I see in the papers that there are some woiks about to begin there.—Mr Balguy : Have you tried the new dock at Tilbury I—Yes, sir • I wa'ked '< wn to Sheerness and called at Til--1 :;-y on the way back, but there were a hundred men waiting for every one tv anted.;- Mr Balguy : You are a \:c iclnnan, are you not I—Defendant: I am, sir.—Mr Balguy : If a Scotchman cannot get work, nobody can.--(A kueh in Court). Don’t laugh, it’s not a joke, but a fact, for Scotchmen as a rule are industrious and persevering.— Defendant: I haven’t wanted work much till now, and I thought I had a chance at Woolwich,as I worked lor the contractor at Btckton gasworks sixteen years ago. 1 really don’t know where to turn next. I am nearly done up. My feet are too sore to wutik. and 1 haven’t had a meat meal for two months. Mr Balguy sent one- of rim officers of the Court to make .tome inquiries respecting the defend* nut, and the answer being satisfactory, directed that he should be provided with some, food, and gave him a few shillings to help him on his way.— Laxly . Laws.