The other day, while making my way, beneath an umbrella, along a crowded city street, I came upon a woman and child, the latter with a large balloon on a string. As I passed them there was a sudden "plop," followed by a cry of dismay from the child. The woman accused me of having burst the balloon, and demanded sixpence damages. I protested: it was not my fault that the balloon accidentally came in contact with a rib of my umbrella, but the woman grew more abusive, and was drawing the attention of a crowd. I had decided to pay her claim and get away in peace, when a Civic Guard appeared. He listened to my version of the incident, and turned to question the woman, but she had vanished completely. I have heard of other persons having met with this balloon incident, and I deduce from it that a new form of begging is becoming rampant. I trust that this paragraph will serve as a warning.
The Irish Times, February 6th, 1931.