VICIOUS VEITCH.

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 6

VICIOUS VEITCH.

A Vagabond 's Vagaries. Amongst the , scallywags who have been infesting Christchurch lately is Thomas Veitch, Who isn't particular if he is called Ritchie. How he signs his cheques isn't "known, but that don't matter. Veitch is one of . those criminals for whom gaol ha.s nO terrors, who consort -. with the. worst and lowejsltf damnedest wretches of humanity ; a truculent individual who would stop at nothing. He is the egg cup m the centre of the criminal pie. He has been m Christchurch before, but this time the gentleman's sojourn has only been six weeks. THE CHARGE AGAINST THE SCAB who preys on society was that of a rogue and a vagabond, he having been previously convicted of being an die and disorderly person. A plea of not guilty followed as a natural course, and then 'Tec. Ward gave the josser a- testimonial. It was a terribly crook one, though, and showed that he had been kicking round town 'with eleven convicts and reputed thieves m the few weeks he had left Dunedin, which oitv he had been honoring with his dirty presence. 'Tec. , Bishop gave similar evidence, and' told- the Court that he stuck Veitch up m the street and warned him that if he didn't alter -his : ways he would be m trouble— he would have to cp,st his low companions aside; The cheeky cove had the temerity to assert that ' he would always associate with them | and he didn't care whether he got j twelve months or six. from the Court, j Also, if ever they were short of a bob he would give it to them., On' the previous Saturday, night Veitch j was knocking about With a prostitute aiid bad stolen a. couple of bottles I bear from one bf his mates... The prisoner expressed .great sur-j prise on hearing -this-.' Tlfen followed 'Tec. J. Kennedy m the witnessbox, and he ran off .a- whole electoral roll of names of people who should be j.n gaol and who ar&n-'t -on visiting terms, with parsons. He .also produced three wee shells, which are used for the "Now-you-seo-it-now-you-don't game," seen occasionally; on racecourses and other -.fashionable resorts of that nature. These precious oh-' jects were found m • the prisoner's pockets. In his defence THE BLINKING-, BLASTED BLUDGER said that ho hadn't been m Christchurch for eighteen months, and fourteen months of that period he had been working honestly. He had been dow ( n to the bays grass seeding for a few days, and had secured a horse and trap and was now working. The Magistrate pointed out m dulcet tones that work was not concerned m the matter ; it' was consorting with the riff-raff of the city; and during the last six weeks he had crammed quite an extraordinary lot of names into his list of companions'. He had better go up for twelve months. And up he went accordingly, prisoner thanking the beak as be left the dock.