[Editor: This untitled anecdote is an extract from the “Humula” column, published in The Shearers’ and General Laborers’ Record (Newport, Vic.), 15 March 1893.]
[Courtroom anecdote]
“John Smith, alias Jones, alias Armstrong,” yelled the Sergeant in a back-block police court.
Newly appointed J.P.:— “I’ll try the wimmen fust. Call Halice Jones and Halice Harmstrong.”
Source:
The Shearers’ and General Laborers’ Record (Newport, Vic.), 15 March 1893, p. 3 (column 3)
Editor’s notes:
back-block = of or pertaining to the “back blocks” (normally used as a plural): an area that is far from the city, or far from town; a remote sparsely-settled area out in the country; a reference to a far-flung rural area (the phrase “out in the back blocks” is similar to “out in the boondocks” or “out in the sticks”) (may be spelt with or without a hyphen, or as one word)
fust = (vernacular) first
Halice = (vernacular) Alice
Harmstrong = (vernacular) Armstrong
J.P. = Justice of the Peace
wimmen = (vernacular) women
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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