FRENCH JEKYLL AND HYDE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 173, 12 May 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

FRENCH JEKYLL AND HYDE.

PROSPECTIVE MAYOR WHO PROVED TO BE A BURGLAR.

Henri Caumont, a municipal councillor of Mascaras (Gers, France), who for some years has apparently been leading a Jekyll and Hyde kind of existence, has just been arrested by the police for a scries of roberiee which date back to 1912.

Caumont passed as a rich man in his district. He is 35 years of age, and owns considerable property. He has long been active in municipal life, aoid at the next elections he was expected to become a mayor. In his home life he s declared to be a devoted husband and father, but after dark he seems to have developed another kind of existence.

He is to be charged with haying committed 12 burglaries, and in his last ex. pedition he was caught red-handed. Ho then decided to make a clean breast of everything, and took the police officers to his house, where they found numerous stolen articles, as well as a sum of more than £IOOO buried in the garden. With the fruits of the burglaries, Caumont paid off some old debts, repaired his house, and bought furniture and a horse and trap. INTERPRETED. To a Scotsman tha word ''sowhouse" conveys no meaning. When he wishes to speak of a building in whicn cows are housed he uses the word "byre." Ana thereby hangs a tale. In the course of a concert given recently by a partv of Scottish Territonals "some.vhere Jr. England" the next item on the rrogranime read, " Violin solo, 'The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre.' Private A. M' Nab."

The chairman, nimself a Scot, knew this would be utterly uninteilieii'le to the majority of the people present, who were mostly English. He rjn to the occasion, however, and his announcement of the item in questi n ran thus: "Private Angus M'Nab ui'l no-.v favour us with the well-known Scotch air, 'The ah Cleansing ah of George's—ah—Cowhouse.' "

AN UWIOLATED RULR. A certain club, the name of which need not be mentioned, ha 6 6trict regulations against all kinds of gambA quartet of club members decided to break the rule- by a game of bridge for small stakes, so they adjourned to one of thesmall rooms, and told an old servant to bring a pack of cards. When he brought them, one of the members asked: "John, I suppose it would be something utterly new in this club if wo were to do such a thing as play for money with these curds?" The waiter scratched his head, and deliberated, finally answering: "Sir. T've been in this club a long time, and I've seen many things.' "Yes—but what have you seen? "I've seen every rule of this dub violated except one." "What is that one?" "The rule against giving tips to the servants!"

STILL A PROFIT. Trade was very slack, atfid Ikey wafc in a despairing mood, when he noticed that his wife was at last serving a customer. He was having tea whilst she looked after the shop, but he could not resist rubbing his hands with glee. Suddenly lie hoard the customer say, -Well, 1 want my money back." That was enough. Ikey rushed into teh shop, and in spite of protestations he practically pushed him out of the shop saying. "We don't exchange once you've bought an article," and the customer vanished. '•You've done a silly thing," said his wife. ''Ho gave me two shillings and

picked up a watch, and when I told him it was twelve shillings ho asked for las money ba.ck. Now he's got the watch." . , , Tkev kicked himself. "Never mind, he answered; "we've still gained sixnence."

The Marquess of Granby, who lias recently married, collects the tiny metal plates which well-known insurance offices used to place on buildings which they had insured.