A WORLD WALKER.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1924, Page 2

A WORLD WALKER.

CAPTAIN BILLY HERBERT IN COURT. DESIRE FOR COCOANUTS BRINGS TROUBLE. Recently many residents of Invercargill have been constrained to remark on the strange appearance of ascertain exJin peri a 1 Forces captain, who'lias been— — on a visit to this city and Bluff, during a walking tour of tho world. Captain Herbert, for such is his name, has told certain of the more impressionable of the inhabitants of the town some wild stories of his African adventures, but, the foundation of these hair-rais-ing experiences is now, it is thought, explained by the condition attributed tow him yesterday by the police, who were • contemplating calling in medical; aid during Die time the Captain was seized with indisposition. An air of expectancy MgjJ. tho .Magistrate’s Court, G. Cruiekshank, S.AI., seated himself at the Bench and Captain William (Billy) . Herbert, who had sprung to attention, was escorted to the dock, which he "as forced to enter sideways, owing to the magnitude of a haversack oil his back. He pleaded ‘‘not guilty” to a charge of being drunk in Spey street yesterday

morning Sergeant Hewitt said that at about 12 o’clock yesterday morning, the Captain was seen in a fruit shop hollaring in a most peculiar manner and was very obviously drunk. Later he was arrested and brought to the station. Constable Frew said that at ten minutes to twelve yesterday, ho say tho Captain in a fruit shop talking ami acting strangely. The woman in the shop appeared rather frightened of him, and witness asked him to leave tlic shop. lle obligingly did so, but later witness saw him in Spey street behavior in a verv drunken manner, so arrested him. To His Worship: He smelt very strongly of liquor, which seemed most likely to have been methylated

spirits. Captain Herbert, oil being asked if he had anything to say,drew himself up and delivered the following defence: “Your Worship, tho court—yesterday l and some gentlemen friends went to gratify n desire 1 have long felt, namely to taste your oysters, so we went to a fish shop and I polished off two dozen. Afterwards, as I was about to retire to mv hotel, 1 felt that I wanted some fruit, Alv taste in this direction, being rather peculiar, I went into a shop, of which I forget the mime, and was given a cocoanut. The worthy constable asked me to leave and I did so. 1 then went out to a saddler’s shop to get some thongs to lace on tlio tyres, which serve me as shoes, part of the conditons of my walk round the world being that 1 cannot wear hoots. The constable then came along, took my headgear, which I had put do"n, and said, ‘Come along with mo.’ He then took me away in a motor ear.” Sergeant Ilewitt at this stage said that there was no doubt the Captain "• ns drunk when arrested. In fact ho thought that the globe-trotter was just coming out of delirium tremens. 110 had done a similar turn in Timaru a few days back and it had cost him 10s to monopolise the use of the footpath. His Worship, taking into eonsideration the fact that the redoubtable Billy liad spent, most of yesterday in the lock-up, convicted and discharged him. “Thank you, sir, much obliged,” said the worthy as, with a smart military salute, lie left the dock. But the court had not yet seen the last of him, his next move being to rcquest that Ilis Worship should attach Ills signature to a stout and battered note book which contains some illustrious names of dignatories in all the towns, in different parts of the world, through which Billy has passedon his adventurous tour. His Worship aceordiiigly entered the following:: Captain Herbert called atMhe office of the most southern magistrate in the r world. He was looking very ht. (Signed) G. Cruiekshank, S.AI., J. C. Aialfroy, Clerk of the Court.