NOT HIS MOTHER.

NZ Truth, Issue 93, 30 March 1907, Page 4

NOT HIS MOTHER.

Bill Boulter Not Branded.

If Not Hers, Whose is He?

Agrees to Assist Her on the Off-chance.

Not toeing cattle, or other valuable stock., it is not necessary when a human 'being is born to brand him,, though some come into, this sinful • world bearing the brand of Cain. Most of us, th»ugfr, are clean-skins, and the nearest approach to branding is when, as puling infants, we are held aloft at the, baptismal font and there given a name. Not bearing any brand,; or any mark of identification, a middle-aged individual named William ' Collier Boulter found himself m a peculiar plight at the S.M.s Court last Monday morning, wh^n he was summoned for the support of Jessie Boulter, who said she was his mother, though William was just as positive that she was not. An interesting case was looked forward to, but it fizzled out, because whether she is the mother or not, no order was made, though Bill expressed his willingness to pay something for her maintenance if she went into the Ohiro Horne — and stayed there. • Mr. Wilford appeared for the defendant, and he stated that he would raise his defence straight away, as it was that' Boulter was NOT THE WOMAN'S SON. The old dame, a small, • wizenedface creature promptly stepped into the " witness box and, being deaf, could not make out what was said, but when the Magistrate asked her if Billiam was her son, she promptly and firmly jerked out that he was. She got .tinder weigh and said she was certain Bill was her boy, aad

that she had no means of support. It appeared that she had had Hk* old-age pension, but being a UrioJQT person she had lost it, and th» Magistrate said, m reference to her loss, "You may he sure I had. very food reasons for taking it away ; it's on* of the last things I cafe to do." "•Didn't I advise you to go to %h« Ohiro Hdme ?" said Dr, McArthur. "Yes," said the old .ady, who proceeded to villify that rascally thief Purvis, who was then master ef the Home. "Oh, never mind about Purvis," said the beak, "it's a long time now since he sought other fields." The old lady further explained that she had gone to the Charitable Aid Board for relief, and the beak ther assured Mr Wilford that ht knew she was without means. "Bill," she went on- to say, "had helped her a little," but, she indignantly denied that she had, last Sunday, gone to Bill's place m Frederick-street and heaved a stone through his window as A MARK OF MATERNAL AFFECTION. ;v She could not be prevailed upon :to admit that her pension had been taken from her because of her pen?chant for strong potions. ''Will you stop drinking," asked Me Wilford. "I'm np>t drinking, ' ' she chirped back. y% i: . ■'■ ■-■.■■,-"-- -: — I mean altogether ?— Good gracious* I'm not sp ioiifr of ijfcr sto j»\l that. x. : . Will -you go into a'Homeiflle^Vf'r" prepared to pay something for you? —Yes. .'..... It was shown that this was about the third time that she haft had Boulter before the court, and each time he 'bad strongly denied that he was her son. ' Didn't y-ou say he was. born m Melbourne ?— He was christened there. Was his birth registered ?— No, he was only christened. . • - . Don't you know he has tried to make enquiries through a firm of Melbourne solicitors to see if he ' was your son, ; but h>/ , failed ?-*-He never speaks to me. I could give him all the information he wants. Mr Wilford : Now, . the best thing you can do is to go to the Ohiro Home.. You can get amone a lot of old ladies and talk scandal al\ day if i you like. This idea tickled the, old woman immensely, and as ,it was agreed that William would s6 : far relent as to contribute towards her support m the Home— though no money would be given to her— she consented 1;o go. She. received some instructions and advice from the Magistrate as to how she should go into the Home, and left th« court looking nutte, cheerful and happy. Moreover she was told to come and see the Magistrate and report progress. '