TOLD THE MAGISTRATE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1928, Page 4

TOLD THE MAGISTRATE.

LONDON, Jan. 12. Amy, the cook, nearly got arrested for claiming her own suitcase. A very determined young woman is Amy. and when slie found that her sister’s young man had obtained the suitcase from the Piccadilly Station cloak-room -by accurately describing its contents, she went in search of her sister’s young man and found him right away in Charing Cross road . ‘‘Nice thing to happen to me,” said Amy to Air A lend at Afarlborough, street Police Court yesterday. “The man behind the counter at the Piccadilly Tube said that if I had come for my suitcase in the morning he would have had me arrested, because my sister’s young man had left a message that if anyone brought in the ticket the suitcase must not be given lip.” That, suitcase puzzled everyone in court. It was packed by Am\ and her sister’s young man, and it was found by a constable who, at Ainx request, arrested her sister s young man in the cloak-room at Leicester Square Station. “I had a pair of socks in that suitcase.” declared Amy's sister's young man. “Indeed, you had not.” retorted Amy. “A'ou have only one pair of socks.” Aim’s sister’s young man was remanded been use nobody seemed to know how and why the suitcase oi Vmv had changed cloak rooms. **»«** AHiigling with the bargain hunters at the sales. George Goodwin. a middle-aged man. who has Jo convictions mainly for theit. began to get wonderful bargains in women’s handbags. AA'licn lie was arrested lie was padded with handbags. and shedding tears and handbags lie told a woman assistant that lv was a victim ol circumstances. Several assistants stood fascinated while George oozed handlings, saying. “Here’s your property, why make n case of it.” But he got six months' hard labour. Professional beggars as a rule volubly insist on tlieir innocence, but Walter, who used to be a seamen before lie became a dry land pirate in the. West End. said of course he was begging. He takes a pride in his calling, and he believes that beggars are underpaid. AVlioii one of liis “clients”, gave him twopence ho exclaimed indignantly, “What the is the good of this? Tt won’t buy anything.” The police were so much interested in Walter that lliev requested the magistrate to put him hack so that they could take his finger-prints. Air Marry Richardson, of Dalnieny Court. St. James’s Square. Pall Alall, the veteran Serpentine swimmer, distinguished himself as a sprinter in the West End on Wednesday night when a man tried to steal .Mrs Richardson’s handbag. Two men were suspected, and while chasing one Air Richardson said the other tried to trip him, and he gripped and held the would-be tripper, who was remanded in custody. LIVERPOOL. Jan. 26. Prolific, in interesting eases, the City Police Chart oi Liverpool is always filled with quaint personalities. The great xeauort is a sort of clearing house for liuimiiiity’s had debts, tramps ol the world who drift in and out ol this junction of change. To-day I sought entertainment in Court No. 3. the domestic court where day magistrates indict long lei l ures and small lines on overnight offenders. Very animate and confidential is No. 3 Court, which is something between a Sunday-school class and a confession:! !-lmx. Hie excellent men and woman probation officers shepherd Die hinrk .-keep, and while the Ideating is loud the shearing is slight. In the Liverpool court the police copy the Scottish method of haring mi official who presents the ease lor the prosecution. It not only saves time hut also benefits the prisoners. Sergeant. George Clarke, who represents the police in No. 3 Court, will just as readily advise an offender ns indict him. Several times to-day 1 heard him prompt a tongue-tied prisoner who had a good defence but could not present it. “ I don’t know what to say,” stammered a first offender who hail been found trying to outer a public-house after closing time. “Say you are sorry and won’t do it again,” whispered Sergeant Clarke, and gratefully the shy one took the hint and got dismissed with a caution. *'* * » * The goalers had a wonderful dockside manner and treated offenders more as patients than prisoners. “Come on, Joe,” invited the assistant gaoler, and .Toe reluctantly climbed the stairs into the dock and admitted he had been drunk in Church-lane.

“ Has he been here before? ” asked -Mr Tracy. “ No, sir, 1 ’ replied the gaoler consulting bis ledger. “ Yes, I have,” corrected Joe. “ This is my second time.” “ No, it isn’t,” denied the gaoler. “Yes it is,” insisted Joe. “Don’t you remember, at Walton ? ” “ Ob, yes, that,” admitted the gaoler. “You are right. You were fined 10s lor disorderly conduct, but you were not drunk.” "But 1 was fined,” triumphantly declared Joe, who, being Lancashire, cheerfully paid another 10s fine because he had got the better of an argument. * * * * One striking difference I noticed between the procedure in London and Liverpool in street offence cases. Here a second constable said : “ 1 have heard the evidence of the first witness and corroborate it.” In the metropolitan courts there is a strict order that all witnesses should be out of court, and particularly is this order observed in those street cases now being investigated by a special .committee.,..... ....=. ,-