A FOUL FIEND.

NZ Truth, Issue 141, 29 February 1908, Page 6

A FOUL FIEND.

PETER BROWN'S PRURIENT PRANKS. An Oriental Bay Exhibition. A Sentence of Three Months'. The uncouth brute who exposes his person to small girls seems to be on Wre increase m . Wellington. The habit manifests itself mostly when the animal is m drink, and is probably a strange disease that will be cured by operation m the time to come. A middle-aged ruffian named 'Peter Brown, who also answers to the name of Albert Rigby, and who referred to himself as Peter McDonald when the arresting constable made inquiries, is the latest curse to civilisation. According to a -painfully nervous witness named Hu^h Murphy, two young girls were coming down to Oriental Bay from the direction of the Queen's drive, when B rr >wt exposed his person m front r ' them. Prior to the disgiisting act, Brown spoke to Murphy, inquiring, pleasantly, "How are you getting on ?" Murphy replied, "Brawlay, thank ye fer .speerin.'," or ..whatever is the Irish or colonial e^qtiivalent of the s"en%iment. Fiiritliiig : Murphy still oh .the premises after the ' misbehavior, "Brown grew angry, and ordered him away 'm haughty accents. Murphy still remained, and Brown picked up a large rock, which he propelled at Murphy. "If you don't get ou-t I'll punch you," he remarked, and hurled another stone through spacel Brown went down on to the beach, where there was T)l«nty, pf ammunition, and as Murphy's father had neglected to insure his son's life when he was an infant, Murphy sought safety rin flight. He ascended to a, road that overlooks the bay, and he then noticed that there j WERE .A': NUMBER OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN about who might have been edified by the conduct of Brown. That hoggish person was so busy hurling anathema and_ scoria at Murphy that he didn't notice the approach of a motor car, which took, him low and threw him m £he gutter. It. must have been a judgment of providence that the infernal machine should have torn the trousers of Brown so that he was indecently exposed ' a . second time. Surprise .might ..he "expressed that Providence chose a motor car to effect its purposes, but then Providence selects some' incogruous objects to work its will. Brown sought to -take advantage of the circumstance whim he was before the S.M. Court. /'Did you see the car open my trousers," he asked or; Murphy. "It was before that," replied Murphy, meaning the indecency. When Constable Carmody searched his man he was slightly under the influenjee of drink (the exhibitionist, not the bobby), and a- surface = cut over the eye indicated his attempt to stop the motor-car . . The little girls went away, and couldn't be located subsequently. ', Brown, giving evidence m his own defence, swore that Ke hadn't seen Murphy till foe saw him talk-ing ,to the copper, and wias considerably astonished when told that there were girls about. Brown didn't see any girls. - Sub-Inspector o 'Donovan : You were m similar trouble before ? — I was under the influence of drink. When was 1 it ?— Two months ago, m Wellington. You were sentenced to fourteen J days' imprisonment for indecency ?— Yes. In January last year you got three months . FOR EXPOSING YOUR PERSON? —Yes. Murphy is working on that. But 'he .doesn't know you, does he ? He. didn't know of your conviction,? —(Silence.) Magistrate Riddell said he believed 1 Murphy m preference to Brown, who ■ seemed to have a raania for this kind of thing. The miserable being was ( sentenced to three months, with hard j labor.