A MIDNIGHT SCENE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 956, 31 July 1903, Page 2

A MIDNIGHT SCENE.

Strange sights occasionally, meet the eye of the representative of 'a morning paper, but a pitiful novelty in this line was presented early this morning. It was raining, and the cold pierced warm garments covered by overcoat. Through the gloom into the light of the street lamps, there emerged a solitary individual. His head was hatless, but with a thick mat of frizzy hair that might have been curly, but certainly was uncombed. • No coat, neck and chest 'bare, feet bootless, and with the right leg of the trousers tucked ‘ up ■to the knee, so that the flesh of the leg was showing. The face had the grimy appearance of a man who had bqen lumping coal. One not knowing the individual might have imagined all sorts of things. It. was “ Soapy Tom,” and this was his simple little story, as plaintively told to the Times reporter

“ Two drunken men came to my whare pulled me out, and knocked the ple'ce about. They threw the tins at me- and hunted me out in the rain. I hay e come to town to get a policeman. Y' eSj ' j know who they are and where they live.” As he spoke he shivered w j t h t ’he cold. Asked why he did not Mjandon his whare and take to a decent ’,if e h 0 entered into a recital of the old etory he gives of his alleged ill-trP'Mment by the sanitary authorities-

At a ’.ater hour this morning a gentleraoL informed the Times representative tnat he had seen a wild-looking, hatless man rushing along by the river bank in a way that made it a mystery, which he could not understand. From the description the gentleman could giye it was evidently Tom stumbling through the dark, sees on hie way to town.