A STRANGE STORY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2352, 6 August 1887, Page 2

A STRANGE STORY.

About half past 12 o’clock yesterday a little girl about nine years old arrived at the residence of Captain McPherson, three miles beyond Hamilton. She requested something to eat. She said she had had nothing since the previous day. Miss McPherson took her in and gave her a good dinner. She was dressed in a dark straw hat with red ribbon, mackintosh cloak, good strong boots and warm stockings. Under the cloak she wore a plain wincey frock, but the strange part of the story is that round her waist she wore a heavy dog chain, and on examination it was found to be securely padlocked round her body under her clothes. Captain McPherson supplied his daughter with all his keys, and she fortunately found one to open the look, and relieved the child of the chain. She stated that .she had been living with a Mrs Shaw, at Hamilton, and in consequence of her having stayed out too long Mrs Shaw had chained her np to a tree for the night 1 The girl says that late in the evening after Mrs Shaw had gone to bed she managed to undo the chain from the tree, and going into tlie house she possessed herself of Mrs Shaw's mackintosh, as she was very cold. She then went to Mrs Missea who charitably gave her a bed, but was unable for want of a fitting key to undo the chain. She staled that her name was Agnes Gilston, that her mother was dead, and that her father was working at the tunnel. Hearing that Mrs Shaw might discover her, she left Mrs Missen’s house before that lady was up, and proceeded on her way to Mrs Barker’s on the Tamahere estate (Graham’s), and called at Capt. McPherson’s for refreshment as above related. When fed she toddled on her way, carrying her chain with her. There may be fiction in some part of her story, but the undoubted fact remains that in the town of Hamilton, Waikato, and not in Siberia, a little girl had a dog chain weighing three pounds, securely padlocked round her waist, under her clothes.

1 Prom enquiries made last night of the police we hud that the girl has been frequently in their hands for absconding from her home, and that there is no truth as regards her being at Mr Missen’s.—Ed. 1