Rorty Rowser Rowe.

NZ Truth, Issue 63, 1 September 1906, Page 5

Rorty Rowser Rowe.

Pestilent New Brighton Bobby.

A couple of weeks ago allusion was made m these columns to a copper named Rowe, who seems to boss themarine suburb of New Brighton, and makes himself obnoxious to everybody who won't kow-tow to him and "treat" him as he thinks a policeman should be treated. Reference was made to his town sections and how he delighted to tell everybody about them, including any person who happened to oe so unfortunate as to be an. occupant of the cells Well, "Truth" now proposes to tell how raspinp Rowe is now reaping eleven bob a week— when 1 the house is occupied — and how he got its onetime owner shifted out of his quarters.

There are a great many fools on this big hunk of mud, and some of them are euilty of making over their property to their wives, and the latter very frequently turn out worse than they were supnosed to be, after they have got all they want m the way of cash and proper ty out of ilieir addlepated spouses. Of course pverv -spouse isn't addlepaterf. or lie thinks he isn't, but Rowe, of New

Brighton, seems to look round for these people, and then has a. cut at their wives. That was whati,happen.ed m the case under notice. A certain tradesman had made over his house and section to his missus,.. and how roving, ranting, rural Rowe got to hear of it is a mystery; at all events he did, and as the result of several strictly private interviews with the lady, and after finding out the exact value of the little plot 'and its house of five rooms he offered^ her £220 for it. The lady accepted, although the figure was a long way below its value, and next day, as soon as the transaction was- fixed up, she did a skip, taking her six children with her; but she never told her beloved' husband a word about the deal. However, he was soon made aware of it. One morning he -became conscious of something m trousers looking at his house and. admiring it from every point of the compass, and examining the ground, and lookitif it the blades of grass were growing, thickly. It- proved to- be 'bobby Rowe, minus bis uniform, but with a look of satisfaction on his countenance that seemed to betoken either that-i he had champagne 'for breakfast, or; that he. had snared a prisoner. But it happened to be neither. The ..tradesman wanted to. know -why— the; Ipeeler was displayiiig*such

INORDINATE -CURIOSITY as to his property. "Oh," it's not'vourpr,opex.v. vl now," replied .raucous Rowe, "it's-maaie ; I got it from the missus." Then the latter's duplicitydawned on the injured husband and ■he made a few remarks. However, ;he wanted to-know from Rowe if he knew wiiere his wife and family had -'.tripped to; he seemed to • know all 1 about the ladjr'svdoings and replied .that she was m. the North Island. After further questioning rusty Rowe admitted that they, were m Napier. He took possession of the tenementand charged the husband nine bob a•week rent., for it. Well, the husband paid to live m his old-time fhome, but wiien> the poltroon of a peeler claimed the curtains and the fltnoleum on the floor 'the husband kicked and wired to Napier to his wife, whose address he had ascertained, asking . if it was a fact that Rowe had bought these things. The reply was m the negative ("Truth's" '.representative has seen the wire); it merely stated that the house only was sold. .So the peeler was beaten on that point. But he had revenge ; he . at once raised the rent to eleven bob a week, and asked, the tenant to sign a year's agreement. The latter properly— very pronerly— told him to go to some unpolite place and left the show, which, when the writer saw it, the other day, was unlet ; so the new cormorant landlord isn't being rushed by people who are candidates for/ tenancy. -The whole history of the case has been much canvassed m New Brighton, and rorty Rowe has come m for some red-hot comment. There are other cases that cannot be touched upon m these columns that might be cited about this New Brighton beauty, for the law of libel is a furious thine with gold dust m its hair and a frightful 'penchant for pursuing and engaging peoi>le who wear a wig and gown. Rowe as a policeman, however, is like a big blow-fly buzzing around a ,ceiling,occupied by small flies. He is •exceptionally Rood \at summoning rsraall boys ;, there is not his equal at 'Christchurch or its environs at catching a boy who wears knickerbockers. There was

ONE LOVELY CASE wherein a young son of Captain Owles, Canterbury representative for Spo:gK and Co /aimed at a. bird m a tree and inadvertently hit a window. He was charged with malicious damage to property, or the wiful murder of a piece of glass, or some equally heinous crime, and' the charge -was carried forward with such unseemly haste that no time was allowed far anything. Captain Owles was absent at Dtmedin, and the charge was hustled along m his absence. iThe window was paid for right a■way, but the breaking of it was vquite unintentional ; there was no] intent. It was the same Captain who gave evidence m the case preferred against Mr W. C. iChallis, of the Bower Hotel, the -other day ; the constable was suc.cessful m his case m the way of \ getting the hotelkeeper convicted of "permitting drunkenness," although the S.M., Day, refused to endorse J the license. The Magistrate said I that the evidence of Captain Owles was the most reliable adduced for the defence, but he must inflict a fine of £10 because the licensee should have ejected the man who was alleged to be under the influence of liquor, before the policeman arrived. Now,- what the devil is a publican to do ? In this case Challis sent for Rowe to put one of three men out of his bar. As soon as the constable arrived the man went out. Now, is every hotelkeeper going to be -his own policeman ? What are the police for ? And when a man has his mates and (as m Challis's case) the hotelkeeper has a crippled knee what ineffable foolishness it would be for the man m charge to start a beautiful row of that sort ! When a man has refused to leave ~a bar it's the plain duty of the police to put him out. In the present instance this : was done, but . as constable Rowe had a deny on Challis he summoned him for "permdttin"' drunkenness." The decision of the Magistrate caused much surprise m Christchurch.'but it is one of those decisions that happen now and again when people lea^t expect them. There doesn't seem to be much logic about the blessed business the wa.T this writer reads the Act, and the Act is often a fool of a thin" 1 anyhow. However, rude, rorty, rowsy Rowe is going to get some more attention m these columns. It is uP to his Christchurch boss, and his Commissioner, to send a trusted representative into New Brighton to make enquiries about Rowe and then there would be a row.