A Senseless Joke.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 244, 13 November 1903, Page 2

A Senseless Joke.

What in its original asgoct bora the appearance of a genuine burglary, but which subsequently proved to be notning worse than a cruel practical joke, threw the members of a Wumganui household into ft state of consternation the other day. 'His family had been temporarily absent from their home, sojourning at the seaside ; but a young lady relative visited the house yes-teeday for the purpose of seeing that everything was safe. To her surprise she diecovered that the iwmis had apparently been ransacked, one of the bedi ooins in particular showing eigne oi i ough usagv. The furniture was turned topsy-turvy, the drawers had been removed from the chest, and Unit contents strewn all over tha, floor, and even the brackets and ornaments had been ruthlessly wrenched from the walls. In her alarm the ,\oung lady sought the assistance of a neighbour, communicated with the other members of the family, and notified the police. A subsequent seaich revealed the comforting fact that nothing was missing, and consequently the only theory alternative to burglary was that some ernpty- . jokel ' had ***«> at work When it is added that the house is occupied by a widowed lady and hoi daughters it would seem that J°^ r 1S not altogether an irresponsible idiot. An imbecile might ™ n , the r ' sk of a horse-whip-It is a safe thing, so far ah ment Un ls' V f '' ol " ' ,hysical chastisement is concerned, to vent one's sportive proclivities on unprotected females ! —Chronicle.