AN OLD OFFENDER.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12663, 29 November 1906, Page 9

AN OLD OFFENDER.

to tux. K.o;ri)R or "ths mass." .Sir.—The* •"Old OiToiule-r" r.f<_rrx.l to !'V mine, host of the I'nitt.l Sorvioo llr.icl tailed on mo lx-".. en 1 and 2 p.m. on tho day in He' -tr.ii'_:!'.ti'iie*d hiti;-olf up Mifiici-Mitly _to el-T-'ive l anyone who did not know him. He* triod to clv-ii" hio throat eif its thi-knew. ami ie> re-gain tlio _ lipp-ry ronfioi of hi-- t-i-n--io; he wa* so «nxiei'.ts le.Jt olt.it t-ory ov-kleinc . miirli-t lx*tr.iv l_iin that lie had I -•rfum.el lii_ liit'„.h. He* prtip.-s,d visiting a cli"rj_*yir.an after iii. Despite hi--* hr_t onelofivour, it wan or.lv tex> on !onr that he .van in tin* nii'.N-t eif a elnnkiti r; l*out, anel he* w.i< ro prim.-melt el accordingly. A wit no*, of hi_, tliyi.iitiirt- remark-", "ho wa.s drunk; at any rate-, ho wtibblod .en*., tlio road.'' This man's do ft-no. was _i tm-;» oik-: th.t ho was -lazed with tho e>lTe>c-t« e.i elrink whe-ti lio commit tod tho offonoo, and that if ho could only keop from drink it would never occur to him to commit tho crimo lor which lie has fo often suf..-roel pimir-hinont. Ho has .or. Ed mvirly 'a epiart.i- of a century', iiiipi-i-oniiiont for acts committed wlion he lias suppi--*_*-l with alcohol his eelf-cemtrol. 'Ihe only long intorval t.f fro. .loin has boon a period eif twelve moritiit., when ho was a total abstain.-r. Tho eithor lucid interval-- he kits 00111----plo.exl in g-iol. Ho is ono of thoMO pocnli._r dippoinani new, wlio will tako no alcohol tor months, but perioelieally will spond on drink every sixpeiicv they cm collect, and livo for a week or ton clays in a edato of temporary insanity. As a eon-oquenco, the Ntw Zealand f-overnimtit has maintainexl him ior 21! voiirs. — Yours. otc., C. A. UPHAM. Lyttelton, November 28th.