ALIBI

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 188, 29 October 1927, Page 10

ALIBI

“Look Fritz! Look at my eye! T can’t start with my lessons to-day. I’ll have to wait until my eye gets well. Did you ever hear of such a thing? I am still upset about it. Wait a minute! You must let me tell this in my own way.

“The cowardly hound! Did ever you hear—all right! I’m coming to that. When I was coming along by Hagley Park last night, I heard a scream—not exactly a scream, but a kind of ‘Awgghh! Aw-w-gghh!’ as though somebody was being choked fo death. “Would you believe me if I told you that I hardly slept a wink all last night? “ ‘Aw-w-wgghh! Aw-w-w-wgghh!’ That’s what it sounded like; as though -—I am trying to tell you, if you will give me a chance! “When I heard that scream, that ‘Awgghh,* I thought that somebody was being choked to death by a garrotter. “By jove! I wished, then, that I had learned a bit about boxing! “ ‘Aw'-w-wgghh! Aw-w-wgghh! ” came the screams again. “There was not a second to lose. Galvanised into action, I leaped forward, my fists clenched. At last, I overtook a couple of men. “Will you gentlemen come back with me to Hagley Park?” I asked breathlessly. They stopped, astonished. “What the devil do we want to go back to Hagley Park with you for?” they demanded.

I explained, as briefly as possible, that there was a woman being choked to death by a garrotter. “Why didn’t you stop him?” they asked, as we hurried back. “I did for the time being,” I told them. “I heaved a rock at him.” “Did you hit him?” they asked. “Well.” I said, “I must have hit somebody. “The screams stopped.” “ ‘We hurried back and found the garotter face to face with his victim. “ ‘What’s the matter here?’ I demanded. “ ‘This lady had a fit,” he answered. “‘You’re a liar! I ain’t!’ she cried. “ ‘Maybe, you ain’t,* he sneered, sarcastically, ‘but you had a fit, all the same.* “With this she takes to him. ‘‘‘Stand back!’ he roared. ‘‘Then I pushed forward and she fainted and fell hack in my arms. “ ‘Don’t be frightened,’ I said, ‘We are here now.* With that she starts to scream again. “Aw-w-wgghh! A w-w-w-wgghh! * “Now, right there, that garrotter shows what kind of sportsman he is! As I leant forward to put her down he uppercuts me, in the eye, and they walk away, arm-in-arm.

“You wouldn’t mind if I told people that you gave me this black-eye, would you, Fritz?”