"BRUMMY" ON THE BEER.

NZ Truth, Issue 138, 8 February 1908, Page 3

"BRUMMY" ON THE BEER.

LAZY LOAFERS WHO LIVE ON DRUNKS. Mills and Thomas Sent to Prison. Cadging Coyotes and Their Crime.

When , 'James Cosford, otherwise known as "Brummy," came down from Pahiatua to spend his cheque m Masterton. New Year time, he lived m a haze of beer for a day or two, and became an easy victim for two unscrupulous gaol-birds named James Mills (who is -also known as John, and adontcd the name of Henderson by way of variety) and Arthur James Thomas (who might be recognised as a person named "Neal" by some people, and was called "Garthwaite" at another stage of his 1 career). "Brummy" had £4 9s 10d on him when he commenced boozing m the hub of Wairarapa. and he viewed the snorts on, January 1 with the dreamy interest of a half-sossled person. He slept m no bed that night, but .recollects having devoured fish and ch-ibs at a late hour, after which hp sought the residence of a relative. "Brummy 's" knowledge of the points of the compass was obscured by beer, and he wandered m a northerly direction instead of following the Nimrod's course m the direction of the South | Pole. At four m the morning he found bini-elf at. Kuripuni m company with two men, one of whom was the criminal Thomas, and "Brummy" dispelled a drought m his throat with some beer tney had m their possession. Beer is the prevailing element around Masterton 7at most times, but during the New Year festival heavy inundations of the brownliquid flatten out the unwary inhabitants. The gathering reckoned it was up to "Brummy" to shout, and that generous Individual produced a shillicff to procure more beer. He Ptave the coin to a red-lveaded person, who. was not 'Thomas, and later (at S a.m.) they adjourned to the Queen's Hotel, where beer again effervesced m foaming flagons above the sawdust. Three £1 notes which "Brummv" carried m a tin tobacco box troubled the ownrr because of the insecure lid, and he 'hanged the paper into silver at different times. THIS MANIFFSTATION OF. WEALTH , must have excited the .cupidity of Mills and Thomas, judging by later events , at any rate, they participated m the various "shouts." Cosford gave his evidence with great enthusiasm and some ingenuousness, and regretted that he couldn't recall the exact number of beers imbibed. "How many drinks did we have ?" he asked the accused persons m an off-hand manner. The query fairly broke the Court up, and the assembly rippled with laughter as Crown Prosecutor Myers explained that he musn't ask for information from the prisoners. In addition to the £3 "Brummy" had tlie remains of some change received from a £1 on the pr»yious day, and was very silvery indeed when he left the Queen's. He took his departure because he -didn't admire the crowd who were sponging on bun. "One pf them asked me for a smoke of my pipe, and I thought the company wasn't good enough, so I left," remarked the temporarily affluent Pahiatua person. Mills followed him, although "Brummy" told him he didn't want to have anything more to do with him. Thomas also inflicrted has approbrious presence upon the Pahia'tua pot-puncher, and the three discussed some more beer on some protective timber work at the side of Renall-street. Here "Brummy" alleged that Mills rushed him, and the victim's mind was a blank for some time thereafter . When he was roused from unconsciousness by Pat Boyle, employed on a corporation street contract, he found <*, void in' the pocket where his wealth used to be. Mills : Do you recollect being m the Prince of Wales ?— I was never m the Prince of Wales. Didn't I shout for you there ?— You had no money ; you know you did ript. You didn't* know anything m the Lower Court?-—! hadn't regained my j senses then, J You haven't got them now. ! Thomas : You say I was with you? I—l say .you were not with me ; you ! were loafing on me. You saw me at the Central Hotel on January 1 ?— -No. I saw you thrdwn out of the 1 Cen-. tral Hotel on January I*.— Then, you're a liar ; I was at the sports on that day. The most damning evidence against Mills and' Thomas was given by a contractor's foreman named William Henry King, whose workmen were fixing up Renall-street, a chain or so from the spot where the unlovely twain went through their victim. King had occasion to pass on his bj'ifte, and saw Mill's wttth his left arm j acro.ss the chest of the prostrate "Brummy," while the other hand groped for cash In tne shickered man's pocket. Thomas's contribution to the crime comprised a seat on some temporary railing., from which coign of vantage HE ACTED AS SCOUT, also, he shared the booty. When K'injs returned from town he sent a man named Pat Boyle across to rouse the insensible "Brummy," and the fact of the robbery was confirmed. Thomas : What was I doing ?— This is what you were doing : (Here King seated himself upon the coping of the witness-box, and looked down at an imaginary "Brummy" being robbed ; alternately he directed futive glances up the road to locate possible pedestrians) . Thij> impromptu junk of histrionics brought down the Court, and left Thomas obviously flabbergasted. Thomas (m a disgusted tone) : What do you mean by nodding your head ?— Giving him the office, I suppose. (Laughter and uproar.) When Bobby Kyle avrested the culprits, Mills had £1 Is 2d m his possession and Thomas £1 6s 6d, and three days later 10s m silver was discovered under a chair cushion m Ser-gt. Miller's office, where the sus- | nects were detained for an hour or so. The only rnioruililp ;> sumption I was that they put the coins there.

Thomas (to Miller)' : You suspect us of putting it there <;-. why should you suspect us ; it might have been there months and months and years and years? — A disconcerted sergeant said, "Yes," faintly. ' { "Why (triumphantly), it might have , been there m Sergeant O'Leary's time," remarked Thomas, i who probably meant Sergeant O'Malley. «'No ," replied the sergeant, with a spasm of recollection, "I shifted the cushion myself a few. days before." "Your office isn't often cleaned out ; I know that myself," retorted the disgusted Thomas, amid laughter. Mills made a statement to the effect that he did the shouting when he met "Brttmmy" on the morning pf the 2nd. When they adjourned to Renall-street^ Mills fetched two bottles of beer at different times, and was pulMng so badly that "Brummy"'"' slapped him on the back. At' that time "Brummy" told him he had lost all hi 9 money. When he returned on the second occasion, Thomas accompanied him, and Mills was" so bad that he returned to the pub FOR A PICK-ME-UP. He had a brandy and soda, and was arrested later. He denied all knowledge of the robbery, and swore he brought £8 with him into Masterton on New Year's eve. He mentioned the names of three witnesses to the police, but they wouldn't turn up unless they had their expenses paid. These persons, one of whom was a barmaid, would . prove that he had money m his possession prior to his meeting with "Brummy." Thomas denied all knowledge of the theft. The jury returned a verdict of guilt v. and Judge Champan, who unearthed lists of previous imprisonments, imposed a sentence of two years' on each.