NEWS BY MAIL,

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1926, Page 3

NEWS BY MAIL,

THE FIRST ROAD-HOG. LONDON. January 2

■ |n one week we have been called road lice, road fiends, and ends on eas-

These epithets do not apply to motorists, The above quotation is from the “Gazette” of the Cyclists’ Touring Club of 1392 sent to “Tho Daily Mail ” by a correspondent, wit’ll the comment : Motorists of to-day who consider that they are often ill-used by the police and uufairlv criticised by iion-motoi ist s might find some consolation in the lot of the pioneer cyclists. Looking through my old “ Gazetc,” I liiid that scarcely a week passed without a cyclist being prosecuted lor lurious riding. and although there was no speed limit in those days fines were imposed when the evidence showed that the oifcuilcr had ridden at the hilarious speed of eight miles an hour. Kingston Pencil, according to the "Gazette,’ was particularly hard on cyclists. I uriouslv enough, the word " road-hog was first applied to the rider ol a

in April. 1392. a horse rider was ■barged with riding so furiously near Haynes Park Station as to cause grave lunger to a cyclist. According to the evidence the rider was so annoyed by the approach of a “ cad on castors ” who frightened his horse that lie rode straight at him. He was called a roadhog and lined -IDs.

Before IKSM. when the Highways Act came into lorcc. a cyclist had no legal status, lie was called a mounted pedestrian. When the Act was passed his vehicle became a two-wheeled carriage and he was protected by the Act. Tn a •' scorching ” case at Cardifl in 19110 a cyclist was sent to prison for 1 l days, the magistrate remarking: Cyclist expect everyone to keep out of their way, and 1. wish all towns would make regulations that people should not ride bicycles beyond certain points in crowded thoroughfares. THIEF FOILED BY A MAX BEST. LONDON, dan. 2. A waxen bust ol a smiling woman prevented a jewel robbery at the shop of Raymond Keith, a firm of goldsmiths and diamond merchants. 139 a Bromp-ton-road, RAY., last evening.

.lust after dusk a. short, stout man entered the doorway of Hie promises and threw a waterproof hag containing a. piece of concrete at the window. As the glass fell in a thousand pieces, leaving a hole 3 yards long and 2 yards wide, the man snatched at a bracelet worth £1.200. He had not counted, however, on the bust of the woman which smiled down from a high shelf. The piece of concrete hit, the shelf on which "she’’ reposed, and when he had grabbed the bracelet the "woman” fell and knocked it out of his hand. The man ran towards Ovmgtoii-gnr-dens. 100 yards away, and leaped into a car which was moving slowly. It was then driven off at a furious speed towards Ovinglon-square and disappeaiUl \Yhen the would-be thief grabbed at the bracelet an assistant in the shop, Air AYilliam Scott, ran outside and chased the man as far as Ovmgtonbracelet was found beneath the pile of shattered glass in the bottom ot the window. Two years ago tins month hen was a similar raid on the shop, the tactics employed being identic* with those ot yesterday. But on that occasion a pearl necklace value at £2.000 was stolen.