Page 96 - "Who do You Think You Are? Johnny Abbass"?

ISSUE : Issue 58

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1991/8/1

Santa Claus. He said, "Give us your name!" I said, "What do you mean, 'your name'?" I said, "Don't you know San? ta Claus?" So he's pointing his finger at Santa Claus, and I took a picture of that. They ran it in the paper the next day. They wanted to put it on the Cana? dian Press and I wouldn't let them. I mean, "Sydney Police Arrest Santa Claus"! [So we had to go to ??court. So we were [told to be in court next Saturday. That's two weeks before Christmas. So I turn around, and I go to court. Santa Claus comes with me, dressed up in his Santa Claus outfit. Atjd the judge is there, and he says to the lawyer, he says, "Look," he says, "those fellows are making a joke of this trial." So my uncle, the lawyer, he came to me and he said, "The judge is not very pleased." I said, "Why?" He said, "You're making a joke of this trial." I said, "How are we? They arrested Santa Claus, didn't they? Didn't they give the ticket to him?" I said, "Now, they've got the gall to give a ticket to someone who's out parading as Santa Claus, then that's who they're going to have to try." The judge said, "Sorry," he says, "I have to postpone the hearing." He said, "When can you come back?" To the lawyer, I said, "You tell him he has to hear the case right now...."--this was three days before Christmas--"or," I said, "we want the case postponed till December the 14th next year. Because immediately after December 25th, Santa Claus is going back to the North Pole and he won't be re? turning till the 14th of December." And you know what the judge said? He said, "Look," he said, "if you ever try this Jotinny Abbass: I know, you'd like to have me in a real animated pose, and I can't get animated any more than I'm doing. I'm just putting on this act for you • you know, I don't really behave in this m.anner. (Hov/ do you usually behave?) I usually t>ehave, like • I have a little wrinkle on my brow like that, and I look abso? lutely, you know, terrible!... (I don't expect you to stand on your head. That's not what you do. You're a dignified Sydney businessman.) Ho! Well, I guess! No? body knows it better than me. If you don't believe it, just ask me. again...," he said. Oh, he was pretty up? set. So he dismissed the case. Now, if they arrested Santa Claus, would you come as anybody else, to be tried? CONTEST! Help us name the people in the Abbass Collection photos in this article. Send us one name or 50 • all that you know. Every letter will be entered in a draw for free one-year sub? scriptions to Cape Breton's Magazine. Three subscriptions will be given away. And the person who sends in the largest number of correct names will win Down North: The Book of Cape Breton's Magazine and the one-hour cassette of Mike MacDougall's Tape for Fr. Hector. • Contest ends September 30,1991 • Send your name Usts to: Photo Name Contest Cape Breton's Magazine Wreck Cove, Nova Scotia BOC IHO Our thanks to Kate Currie and Lois Ross of the Beaton Institute, U.C.C.B., for help in selecting examples from the range of the Ab? bass Collection. And thanks to Ray Fahey and Art Fennel for printing some of the photos. MABOU GARDENS Complete Flower Shop • OPEN 12 MONTHS _ ___________ A YEAR! Buy All Your Garden & Gift Needs Cape Breton's Largest Full-Service .Garden Centre Florence's % Country Traditions j Gift Shop ' INSIDE A COMMITMENT TO CAPE BRETON

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