THE SWEDE AND THE IRISHMAN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4481, 30 July 1875, Page 3

THE SWEDE AND THE IRISHMAN.

(From the Australasian.) A very much mixed up case was partly heard in the City Police-court, Melbourne. A Swede, named Joseph Sundermere, was charged with forging a letter of credit for £SO. The case for the prosecution, as given by Detective Duncan, was very curious. A man named Thomas Fogarty met the prisoner on the wharf in New Zealand, and- out of the kindliness of his disposition paid for the passage of the Swede from Dunedin to Melbourne. Fogarty deposited £SO in the bank before he left New Zealand, and brought the deposit-receipt with him, and on arrival here went, by the advice of the Swede, to Hartung's Alexandra Hotel, Lons-dale-street west, where both men took lodgings, and where Fogarty gave his de-posit-receipt to the landlord for safe keeping. The Swede saw this done. Fogarty went about the town to view the lions of Melbourne, and while he was away the prisoner went to Hartung and said he wanted the deposit-receipt, saying, "I'm Tom Fogarty, who gave you the receipt." The landlord gave him the receipt and accompanied him to the bank, where the Swede was required to sign his names. He made a passable attempt to write the name " Thomas Fogarty," and Hartung stating' that lie was the right man, the money was paid and handed over to the landlord for safe keeping. By and by, the real Fogarty went to the laudlord and asked for his deposit-receipt. " Why," cried the landlord, " who are you ?" " Shure," said the man, " I'm Tom Fogarty that gave you the receipt." The landlord explained that this must be a mistake, as Fogarty had already been to the bank with the receipt and got the money, and the Swede was called in. " Oh, it's all right," said the Swede ; " I'm Tom Fogarty, and this man is Harris." Fogarty began to be doubtful of his own identity, and went out and drank a few glasses of liquor to clear his brain, and in the meantime some relatives of his called to see him, and told him that he was the real " Tom Fogarty," and no mistake. The police were communicated with, and Detective Duncan was sent to see into the matter. He saw the Swede, who said ho was "Tom Fogarty." Duncan asked him whether that was his name in Sweden. " Oh, no," replied the foreigner, "that's my English name." (He should have said his Irish name.) Duncan astutely asked him to spell the name, and he got as far as "Fog," but seemed to be in a fog altogether, and it was only after great trouble that he added "ty " as the rest of the name. "Perhaps," said Duncan, "you've mistaken yourself for some other man." " Oh, no," replied the Swede, " I'm the only Fogarty I know.' Duncan then went to the real Fogarty, who said he believed he was Tom Fogarty anyhow, but that the Swede told him he was a fellow named Harris, which bothered him very much. Fogarty had by this time become so affected by grief and whisky that he was unable to say decidedly whether he was Fogarty, or the mysterious Harris, or the Swede, but a female relative came to the rescue, and told him who he was, and, moreover, convinced the detective that he was the real Fogarty, and that the other person was not even a decent Irishman, but a designing Swede. Duncan concluded that the evidently guileless individual from the Emerald Isle was the real Fogarty, and arrested the Swede, who then explained that in the northern latitudes he was called Joseph Sundermere. This was the case for the prosecution. What the defence may be has yet to be revealed. The money at present appears to be.safe in the keeping of the landlord. After hearing Detective Duncan, the Bench, at his request, remanded the Swede.