TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1818, 20 November 1888, Page 3

TRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION.

A gentleman of fortune named Angerstein, lost a large quantity of valuable plate. His butler was soon on the track of the thieves (who had brought a coach to carry the plate) and enquired whether any vehicle had lately passed. The gate-keeper said that a hackney coach had Bhortly before gone through; and though he was surprised at its passing so early in the morning he did not notice the " number "on the coach. A servant girl hearing the conversation, volunteered her statement that she saw a coach pass by and its number was " 45." As the girl could not read they were surprised at her knowing the number. 1 She stated that she knew it well aa being the same number she had long seen about the walls everywhere, ' which she knew was " 45," as everyone was speaking about it. This ' allusion of the girl's was in reference to > the""Wilkies" disturbance, when the forty-fifty number of the True Briton was prosecuted, and caused a great deal of public excitement. Mr Angerstein'a butler went to London, and found the driver of the hackney coach No. 45, who at once drove him to the place where the plate was deposited, and it was all recovered. Borne years since in the " Temple " was a vertical Bun-dial, with the motto * Begone about your business." It is ctated that this very appropriate motto wastheresult of the following blunder: When the dial was erected the benchers were applied to for a motto. They desire* the builder's man to call at the library at a certain hour on a eertain day, when he should receive instructions. But they forgot the whole matter. On the appointed day and hour; the builder's man called at the library, and found only a lawyer m - a close study over a law book. The man stated the cause of his intrusion, which suited so badly the lawyer's time and leisure that he bid the man sharply, "Begone about your business." The lawver's testy reply waß duly painted in "big letters upon the dial, and was considered so apposite that it was allowed not only to remain, but was considered as appropriate a motto as could be chosen. Two men in France took shelter in a barn for the night. In the morning pne of them was found dead, with a mere injury to the head. The comrade was at once arrested, and told some " cock and bull" story about the terrible storm of the night in question, and attributed his companion's death to the effect of a thunder-bolt. He was not credited, and was in a fair way to be executed for the supposed crime. A scientific gentleman, hearing of the circumstance, examined the place, and found a hole in the roof of the barn, and an aerolite close to the spot where deceased had slept on the night in queition. The innocenee of the accused was at once considered as established, and he was released.