A DEAD CERT.

NZ Truth, Issue 114, 24 August 1907, Page 6

A DEAD CERT.

A Bootmaker's Bit of Boodle. It is positively amazing what some usually level headed people will do when it is whispered into their pink lug that there is a chance of making d : haul over . a dead cert little gamble- They tumble' in and keep there like a ship's anchor. A racing Dert, whispered by a turf mannikin, excites their cupidity to a wonderful degree, and they, take their chance without asking any foolish questions. Alfred Cobden, bootmaker, of Christchurch, has had one racing experience, and says that he doesn't intend to add to it. A few months ago— before . the . Autumn meeting at Riccarton— he met a wellgrown youngster of sixteen m the bar of a Wellington pub. They became acquainted and the lying young rascal, whose name is William Charles Grant, stated that he was jockey Monk. Cobden didn't doubt it ; he didn't know Monk, nor had he heard of him, for, as a. matter of fact, he ' isn't a racing man at all. Young Grant so impressed Cobden that he thought he might have a flutter on Seal Rock, the nag recommended by his informant for the big money. At Christchurch the bright youth called at Cobden's shop, said he was gping to ride at the meeting, and gave an order for a pair of jockey's boots. He mentioned incidentally ithat there were half-a-dozen nagsy '/DEAD" FOR SEAL ROCK, and that a fiver would be a good investment. The eager bootmaker handed over the money. Just after ithe youth's departure a chum dropped into the shop, and the bootmaker told him what had happened. As the chum was "flush" he, went and backed Sear Rock, netting over £30. He was naturally overjoyed, but the man of the awl looked impressively sad for a long time afterwards. .Young Grant, alias Monk, never put the oof on ; he spent it m a millionaire manner, and had a good time. Information was given to the police anent the missing fiver, out the kid was only located last week. He admitted the theft, and was defended by lawyer Salter, who said it was a most reprehensible thing for Cobden to have trusted a boy like that with a fiver to put on a horse. He. asked that leniency be shown the accused ; ii was his first offence, and the man he was working for at Riccarton was willing to Jtake him back. Magistrate Bishop said he would treat it as he usually treated first offenders; the .accused would be convicted and ■discharged, but the fiver , would have -to be repaid by his .father. The man deserved to lose his money under the circs, but that was aio excuse for the boy's dishonesty.