
A recent encounter with a truant by a School Attendance Inspector in Limerick has left the inspector and the child’s father amused and surprised.
During his rounds, the inspector visited the house of Mr X. to inquire about any children who were not attending school. Mr X. reluctantly informed the inspector that he had a troublesome fellow in his house who refused to go to school. The diligent inspector quickly noted down the name of the truant in his notebook.
Before leaving, the inspector asked if the boy was present at the moment. Mr X. replied in the affirmative, and both of them proceeded to the kitchen to find the young boy. However, to their astonishment, the truant was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Mr X. pointed to a cradle in the corner with a peacefully sleeping one-month-old baby inside.
Realizing that there was no truant to prosecute in this case, the inspector and Mr X. shared a moment of laughter at the innocent and unexpected excuse. The incident provided a lighthearted break in the seriousness of their duties.
Dublin Evening Telegraph – Saturday 03 December 1904