CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 96, 24 April 1889, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF VOLUNTEERS AT MERCER.

(To tho Editor.)

Sir, —In your issue of the 20th April appuarrf an account of the movements and conduct of iho volunteer force which left Auckland on the 18th cv route for Hamilton, WaikatOj and to show you how much that report is tv be relied upon, 1 will give you a few words of truth upon the subject. Whou the train with tho volunteers reached Mercer v hundred or more jumped out of the carriages and rushed for the hotol. A number o: them "entered the dining-room, rudhed out tho man that was in charge of the room, and then cut and slashed right and left ac everything there was on tho tablo and walked oil' with it. They even took away a small looking-glass. Isu ppo.se they wanted to see how a thief looked while in the act of stealing. Ab the same time a party of about forty or more rushed into the bar and jammed myself, my son and an assistant into the far end so that we could neither servo nor get out. While they had us so penned up others walked oil' with a two-gallon jar of brandy and several bottles of stout. During the time this was going on others were looting other rooms. Out of one room they took a new accordian, valued at 353. They also went through the other part of tho house and took everything they could put hands on —bread, meat and even to a quantity of milk that was set aside for the morning. Not content with bhat which they were taking away, some of them actually took glasses from the counter and smashed them on the , floor. Having been in the service myself, I should be very sorry to blame unlosa they deserved it. Therefore, it is only fair feo state that men belonging to the Navals were the ringleaders, if not the whole perpetrators, as the rifle volunteers, in my opinion, have too much manly spirit in them to have acted in that way. If thafa in what they call discipline, I know nothiug at all about it. I: never saw or heard of anything so disgrace- j lul in my term of service.—l am, &c, W. H. Poktbr, Railway Hotel,-Mercer. April 23rd, 1889.