TOLD THE MAGISTRATE

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1926, Page 4

TOLD THE MAGISTRATE

LONDON, June 1. Three -detectives played a game of hide-and-seek with Jack Phillips, an oldj offender, who, having forgotten the date of his first birthday, was faced with a conviction for stealing celery several weeks after he was born. Jack the timekiller is what the police call an “old lag.” Seventeen times he has stood in the dock and found nobody to believe bis eloquent declaration of innocence. He has served twelve mouths for housebreaking, in addition to several other sehteilces, but when he appeared before Mr Mend at Marlborough street Police Court yesterday he said that he was only 128 years old—an assertion that conflicted with the records that registered his first lapse in 1897. Actually Jack the time-killer was

born in 1885, and he began to climb the tree of crime when he was twelve years old. and he has been climbing to his fall ever since. A stockily built man, lie lias ail unfortunate face, the sort of face that provokes dogs and scares children.

During the late lamented strike ho boarded a covered railway van, with the intention, so he said, of asking the driver to get him a job as a volunteer worker.

But bis face was bis misfortune, for three detectives, having seen hint on the pavement, had already secreted themselves in the van in the justified belief that Jack the time-killer would join them. And so lie did. For half a mile be rode hi. the van with three pairs of eyes watching his every move,

and when, in Broad street, he left the

van-wit'll a bale of cloth bis concealed companions not only relieved him of lu's burden, but were inquisitive about a black satin bag be carried in bis pocket which just fitted the stolen bale. His idea, suggested the detectives, was to make the bale of clothes disappear with the aid of the black bag, but something went wrong with the conjuring trick, and Jack the time-killer himself disappeared for six months at the bidding, of Mr Mead, the magistrate, who performed the feat without the aid of a magic wand or a black bag.

Anthony, succumbing once more to temptation, ascribed bis fall to malarial fever. The fact that be was found on a busy pavement whirling his arms and raising his voice did not impress Anthony, who kept on chanting, “-Malaria! Oh, malaria!” Mr Mead thought that the best way to cure malaria was a compulsory abstention from drink, whereupon Anthony renewed bis lamentations so earnestly that the Magistrate sent linn and bis malaria to Hr Mills, the court missionary. “Until,” sang Frederick Harry, in the key of A in the Court of Gee’s, where Victor Beach was wrestling with “ Follow me home.” Sentimental waitresses, impressed by the hopeless pathos of the voice of Victor, gave him 7s Cd, whereas Harry, the amateur, bad to sing a long time about “Until” before be collected twopence.

Leaving Gee’s Court, Victor and Frederick, being young and able bodied decide that singing for their suppers was neither dignified nor profitable. Ro, asserting tlicir independence, they lowered their voices and raised their caps and sought to draw from charity the wages of the workless. Beach, who had already served three months as a rogue and vagabond, will rest bin voice until the warders let him out in a fortnight’s time, and Harry, who is a beginner in the beggar’s opera, was sent to have a talk with the court missionary.

Cleaning windows was the job of William Buckridgc, who, however, cleaned up the weekly wages of his fellow-cleaners to the amount of £2-1. That was a month ago, and he was not seen until last Tuesday, when a polico sergeant noticed him regarding with professional disapproval dirty windows in New Bond Street in the, neighbourhood of his old (inn. During the fifteen years that the window cleaner had kept straight after being bound over for larceny be had acquired a wife and nine children, from whom lie will be separated for the next two months. Hard lines on the family, but also bard luck lor AVilliain’s employer, who bad to pay one week’s wages twice.

Had book-keeping and au unwise choice of friends proved the downfall of a book-keeper who, on his own confession. had taken £4O from'the petty cash of his employer, an elderly woman who generously did not press the charge. The auditors, however, put the defalcations at £177, and the had book-keeper was remanded to await their report.