WAS IT A MARE'S NEST?

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4746, 13 June 1894, Page 2

WAS IT A MARE'S NEST?

\The Police and the Presents tionl _ A nuinbor of young mou, resident in and about Masterton, and also one or two of their oldors, assonibled at Messrs A, White and. Oo.'s. Queon Street shop last evening-, and we may here state, that there is nothing : unufiunl in this fact, as the meotings of thoKed Star Football Club are held on the premises, and : footballers meot to discuss things generally at Measra Whito and Oo.'s establishmont.

Last night, howover, the. police obtained information that a particn-' larly dark deed—in fact no less a crime than a raffle—was to take place, and accordingly swooped down upon the establishment in full force,

After listoniug outsido for some time at the back door, and not hearing the rattle of dice, or other evidence of gambling, Sergt, McArdlo knopkod and demanded admission, A'voice cried:' 1 Who's thero P" The Sergt, in his most thrilling tones, replied: " Tho Polico.!" Tho very mention of tho word "Police" seems to unnerve some people altogether. In thiscase the rule worked well, for at least half tlioao prcsont scpiucd to think <ponal servitude was tho only outlook, Seized with desperation somebody turnedoutthegas; another climbed up the chimney; two or three hid in the show window; one woll-known commissionagent stowed himself under tho barbers chair and remained concealed heneatha heap of shorn locks.

But for a most unfortunate accident tho majority of those present might have safely elndod the clutch of tho law, by making an oxit through a window in tho room, but the first to mako an effort to cloar by this road—a much respected J,P.—got stuck halfway by the sash falling upon him, and pinning him in such a manner that ho was "noithor in nor out," (The presence of a J.P, at the assemblage certainly convinces us that something was radically wrong). Presently someono with a little more common-sonse thau tho rest lit the gas and opened the door. The Sergeant and his supporters entered and found nothing suspicious. It was explained to huh'that the gathering was for the purpose or making a presentation, so contenting hinir self with taking a few names for future referenoo -in caso of an accidont—he withdrew his foreos and tho boys recovered sufficiently to laugh at the general scare created. Sorgeant McArdlo is to bo complimentod on taking overy effort.to suppress gambling, but in spits of the silly statements which have at times been circulated, we do not think that tho youth of Masterton are so bad as occasionally painted, and a harmless raffle, or a ticket in a " Tattersall" sweep is about the oxtent of their folly in this direction,