A DESPICABLE THEFT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 137, 1 July 1901, Page 2

A DESPICABLE THEFT.

One of the most despicable and cruel thefts that h?s ever come under our notice was perpetrated upon one of the veterans of'the Impel ial army who was Oj a visit to Wellington from Taranaki Inst weeV. SergranvMaj'ir Dump, the . Vfti-ran in ques'ion, was in the midst : of a c. owd on o* e of the days when the i Royal visi' ora were to pass through the js'reefs, the mesa's on his breast show-' i g that hd had assisted in the building .of the Empire in the Ciime>, and in i India, ('lose to him s'ood a young iran who extend into conv rsatioa «i»h bim, and who present'y asked if be might fur a moment transfer the veteran's medals to his own breast " just to a-e how they looked." Pleaded that his hard-earned trrphias should h.vecalleHorth admiration, the S r-geant-Major, in all good faith and smplicity, Inuded them to the young man. The next irstant the eye of the old s ldier was arrested by a passing incident, and in that ir.stant the thief aad'the medals disappeared. For mean contemptable robbery this act. would be difficult to p .ra'lel, and if by any means the offender is ciscoveied, it is devoutly to be hoped that his punisbment will be such as to maka him give stealing in gneral, &■ d the "liftiug" of mpdalsin putlcul r, a wide berth for the future. -—Post. t _