TEUTONIC LINGUAL MYSTERIES.
The orderly at the Melbourne Oifcy "Court was an exhausted man by tfip liime be had got through the list of persons charged with drunkenness one day last week, says the Melbourne Herald. The reason was that a goodly proportion of the crew of the German cargo steamer Itzehoe fell into the bands of the police on the previous night. The sergeant made a, gallant attempt to pronounce "the name of the first offender and when at length be was brought forward, more by reason of the fact v that the arresting constable identified him than he identified the name, the sergeant's pantomimic resources were exhausted in an endeavour to make him understand that he' was charged with being drunk. All he said in reply was, "Itzehoe, Itzehoe.," which was BtJeticth interpreted as a plea of not guilty. Constable Traoy solemnly proved the oharge, and the ofleuder was discharged. The sergeant quailed as be glanced at the next name, but be did bis duty, and in response a bewhiskered individual, with upturned moustaches, came forward. He also said, "Itzehoe" ■and then the constable who was versed in maritime news whispered that a German vessel of that name bad just arrived. This one also was discharged. The next name took five years off th 9 sergeant's life. Again it was "Jtzehoe,"and again the Bench was lenient. Yet a fourth appeared and said "Itzohoe." "Good heavens!" ejaculated Mr Pan ton, "was the whole crew of the what-do-you-call-it-boat drunk?" The rapidlyweakening sergeant smiled feebly, -and replied, "The next one belongs to the same ship, your Worship." Eight times in succession did the sergeant wrestle with a name that would have been a match for a linguistic athlete, and every time the owner of the name said "Itzehoe." It was a treat to see the beatiflo smile that overspread the sergeant's face when he reached "William Jones," and when William Jones, la answer to the usual question, replied in good Anglo-Saxon, "1 were,''
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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7961, 12 February 1906, Page 7
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332TEUTONIC LINGUAL MYSTERIES. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7961, 12 February 1906, Page 7
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