EXTRAORDINARY CASE AT WELLINGTON. A Promising Career Cut Short.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 210, 9 July 1887, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY CASE AT WELLINGTON. A Promising Career Cut Short.

Wellington, July 7. Ax extraordinary and clever imposture was exposed yesterday by the arrest by Detective Campbell of a youth of about 20 summers, named L. Tyler, alias Fairfax, for having broken into a commercial traveller's sample room. The prisoner presented himself at the Empire Hotel about a month ago, bearing a letter of introduction which purported to have been signed by Mr C. A. DeLautour, solicitor, of Gisborue, who formerly repre&ented Mount Ida in the House of Representatives. In this letter Mr DeLautour was represented as making himself responsible for the young man's expenses until (the supposed writer's) arrival in Wellington. The prisoner gave the name of A. Florid Tyler, and commenced to live in a style of magnificence, which, so far as expenses were concerned, was fully in keeping with his assumed rank. He indulged rather lavishly in wines and cigars, but after a time the good sense of the landlord caused him to inquire and stop supplying any further claret to his lordship's order. Further credit for billiards was also discontinued, on the principle that though Mr DeLautour might have undertaken to pay the supposed lordling's actual expenses, he was hardly likely to encourage such extravagance. At length, however, his i suspicions became aroused, and he telegraphed to Mr DeLautour, inquiring whether he had given any such authority as was made to appear. Yesterday morning a reply was received, absolutely denying that he had given any person permission to use his name. The landlord reported to Detective Campbell the way in which he had been duped, and Campbell at once asked that he might be brought face to face with the impo&tor. The sitting-room in which Tyler would be found was pointed out. Campbell sauntered carelessly into the parlour, found the young man dressed, in the approved ''masher" fashion, his feet encased in patent leather slippers, and coolly smoking a cigar as he lolled back in one of the easy chairs reading a new&paper. Campbells next step was to pay a visit to the bedroom occupied by the unsuspecting youth, and here a portmanteau was found containing articles of plunder and the implements with which a burglarious career had evidently been carried on. One compartment was filled with an interesting collection of silk handkerchiefs, white shirts, gentlemen's underclothing, collars, ties, etc., all quite new, most of the articles having never been worn. The other division was devoted to three or four pieces of thin iron, such as would be extremely useful in removing a lock, a candle, and

I several old battered and mud-'&tained garments, a pair of patent leather '.slippers, from which the heels had been removed, and which would make an impression somewhat similar to that of a naked foot, besides enabling the weaver to walk noiselessly. Footprints of this kind were found on the Hoor of at least one hotel which wn.s broken into last week. Mr WemydS, owner of the sample-room, was brought to tho hotel, and identified nearly all the new croods as having been stolen fiom his premises. The detective then icturned to the p.ulour, and found the ycung dandy still enjoying his otium cum dignliaie. He o\pre&sed virtuous indignation when told th.it he was in custody, and did not ceato to threaten the oiHccrs with lordly contempt until the lock-up vias i cached. The curious pait of the whole affair i-< that Tyler has been convicted four timers foi larceny within the last few months. Before assuming his title, ho^o\u, he took the precaution of shaving cleanly, and Avhile in tho hotel he was caieful to -pend all his days indoor.s and to root only at night.

The moi'c you puff a cigar the ' mailer ii becomes. .And that is the ca^c v, iiii some men. Al a wedding bicakl.iot a flum-y uaifcei contrived to upset a tuicen full of nch soup over the satin dress ot a lady, who look it to hcait toiril)ly awl threatened liytteHca. "Don't woiry, ma'am," i-aid the \raifcer, kindly, " theie's lots i!ioro sou}) in the kitchen."