THE COVENTRY EPISODE AT KAMO.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 232, 21 February 1885, Page 2

THE COVENTRY EPISODE AT KAMO.

The "Diamond King's"\ frolicsome^'adventure ,at Kaino lias hardly deceived ,that justice which its dating and novelty de'sei-ve: Our correspondent ■ did, no,t rise to,.,,the occasion, and .omitted- most sof the spiciest details of the affair. " The Diamond King," as he is familiarly called by his numerous friends and'cronies, ihas earned ;a; reputation for eccentricity, combined with bonhommk and good nature, ■■ but; in his- Quixotic; .adventure at Kamo he quite eclipsed any of his pre-vious-performances, and earned imperishable fame among, ; the-grimy : denizens of|sxe Black Country ;of the .North,.' .w;here^tEe memory of- his; deeds will Jive in. taproom song and tradition as long as there is a pay- _/ able seam of coal in the district.

— . _^, . — , An eye-witness, whose word there, isno gainsaying, informs us that one afternoon the " Diamond King" and. a band; of choice spirits were discussing coal sand /dr&ecZ-lightning whisky, when* , one of the bon ion of Kamo offered to wager £5 that he / would carry the burly form of Mr. G. ;for a distance of fifty yards through the main and only — street of the town.' This roused all the fire of the speculative soul of C, who immediately accepted the bet, and the money was staked. Calmly smokin°- a fragrant cigar of the best brand— C. always smokes a good weed— the monarch of diomonds prepared to mount his rival's back. "Oh, no," said fhe latter. "I ■wagered I would carry you, not your clothes." C. ..saw that it was "a -hive," but, the idea of being held up to ridicule as .haying; been, taken; ,ija by V r Kamo joskin.

"was too -much- > : Should such, a thing happen lie cdtild neve;r again hold up his head in respectable society. His reputation as a "sma*rt man would be gone for ever. ■' '*• :&'&: ♦

'-Prbniptly stripping off liis ' clothes, -and standing mptiris naturuUbus — in factyas naked as sorne of the classic statues in the Auckland Mnseum-, if not as beautiful — the " Diamond King " majestically declared that lie was ready forjthe ordeaL " Yoii must throw away your ci°ar too," said the other ; "I didn't stipulate ' torairry extra*weight." " Hereygbes !". said . C, throwing away his weed, and the men . faced the starter. Hoisting the leviathan monarch of the carbonic crystals On his back, -.-he proceeded to, perform the stipulated 50 yar&'s^ih broad daylight in the man" thoroughfare .in Kamo. ,On the busiest day of the Tjeek, when business is brisk in Kamo,' you . might fire a battery of gatlitig guns along the mam street, without" hitting any "human being, -•maotiitless.^' policeman,, though possibly some iavoc would be done among the goats, ducks, - and geese, and stray cows. It was therefore with no small inward satisfaction, albeit Avith *intfch gfrunting and profuse perspiration, that . Ifhe bearer .of that huge burden accomplished ' -.the, first . lap, and prepared to return in . 'triumgh to Ahe bar 'of ; the hotel and tla.im the stakes. * But alas ! what ill fate was it that •, "brought the local guardian^of, the peace "on , the spot " at that critical moment ? Ferchj||ge.' he was fhirlty and was -an his way to re^^^ at the fount of the local brewer. ifrafHi At all events his eagle eye took ' in the situation at a glance, and he promptly laid an information. Meantime the ' ' king of , diamonds " had earned the stakes, resumed . his habilinifents and his cigar, as nothing unusual had happened, and was receiving , the congratulations 'of his friends when a bit o' blue was* thrust into his hand, and another i& ; jbhe hand of the other man, commanding them .to .attend a levee to be held next ' 'inorning by Mr Clendon as the representat tivQ.of'the Queen. It is needless to say that 7, there was a full muster on. the ocasion. "WheirHhe charge was readandO. 'was called •tfpon to* plead, he wanted, to square matters by offering- the. beak twenty notes to be devoted to any charity His Worship might namel The Bench, after .taking time to consider,, and consulting the authorities, re- . luctantly declared itself unable to entertain the proposal, and as the offence was punishable by. imprisonment without the option of a fine, Mr C. and his companion were sentenced • to twelve hours': confinement in the common Mftoloi Kamo. Then they adjourned to a ~^ool, shady spot behind 1 the Court-house, • stretched themselves on the green sward, and amidst the. warbling of the feathered songsters ■ and the Chirrup ' of the agile grasshoppers, . smoked cigars and drank the health and --success of the local bobby, the Bench, and all ' the public andprivatemagnatesandinstitutions . of Kamo, in Teacher's best whisky, until 5 o'clock, when they were released from durance vile and permitted to return to their hotel, : where they were received with warrn^ congratulations by their friends. The " King of Diamonds " has since presented the £o to the Kamo Sick and Accident, Fund. He is now in. -Auckland, bat with his characteristic modesty, is lying* perdu, lest he . should be regarded as a hero by his ■•^multitudinous friends and invited to partakeapj'frequently • of the flowing b0w1. ,. . ■