PINS AND NEEDLES

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1931, Page 8

PINS AND NEEDLES

COMEDY ON THE PAVEMENT’ A constable st.ppcd out of the Wegt Bromwich Police .Station, England, recently, bent Ins leg in approved regulation style, straightened his tunic, tucked his thumbs into his belt, and strolled in a dignified fashion toward tin centre of the town. Omside the Lewisham Hotel, which adjoins the police station, he paused, hjs whole body twitching. \\ ith arms outllung he suddenly pirouetted wildly. His legs shot up in quick succession .11 the manner of an ice skater trying to retain his balance, lie bent forward, and his feet moved rapidly, like a man racing on a revolving drum. He sprang into the ajr with a mighty bound, and easily beat the local record for the longdistance jump. The crowd who had witnessed the performance applauded mildly. “It’s a new dance step,” declared one sweet young 1 lung enthusiastically. "The policeman’s tango, or something.” “ ’E's doin’ it for a bet,” announced a Black Country collier with conviction. "An' very pretty, too." A man in clerical garb stepped forward, his hand upraised in protest, as if he were about to say ; "Oflicer, this is hardly becoming to the dignity of the law!” He reached the spot upon which the constable had performed his impromptu dance, tjien, without warning, his legs tried to do the splits. His clerical collar shot up round his ears, and after several convulsive leaps he. sprang at the constable and clasped him lovingly round the neck. "There you arc,” sniffed an angular woman from the crowd. "I told von what it was. It’s a film stunt. Where’s the camera A courting couple arm-in-arm, gazing into each others’ eyes) oblivious of the surroundings, stepped into the picture. (At the fatal spot they gyrated rapidly. The girl screamed, her swain sprang wildly upwards as though he were standing on hot needles, and then both nearly beat the constable’s record for the longdistance jump to safety. “I told you," remarked a voice irom the rear of the crowd. “It’s a iKath ray." The official explanation of the occurri nee issued later was that the fusing of a wire in a nearby electricity supply box had caused an electric current to be passed through the damp pavement at 'that particular spot.