SHADOWING THE PRIME MINISTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 548, 1 July 1909, Page 6

SHADOWING THE PRIME MINISTER.

* DETECTIVE OH'CtTRRO. A REMARKABLE KDMOUB. • • :(By TdegrapK—Press Association.) 1 / Auckland, June 30. The "Herald" states that it is reported ) that- the object of Cassells's visit .■.■■■ to - England: m company . with Sir; Joseph :■ Ward is to* shadow the -.prime Minister ;; ■ against• possible attack'by an ox-immigrant, ■ • •-who^" it'is alleged,;-was induced, to. como.-to Now Zealand two; or.: throe years ■ago' by reading somo of tho rose-coloured literature •> on New Zealand,which has been published ;• at Home. ■ '■ He was : nnsuccossful, ,and after, • spending -some time in Wellington ' worked his as a atoker, only to find that his wife had- died of-, starvation - his ■ absence, 7 hence his threatening letters -~ .to Sir Joseph Ward, whom ho.' seoms . to have blamed for his misfortunes. .. . . • Shortly after it was first announced that ■Detective Cassella-was about to pay a visit. ' to London- on urgent business ( the rumour ■i vv .spread that this-well-known police officer, ...wm , leaving the -Dominion simultaneously - with }-, ■ ! •, Sir Joseph' Ward in order that he might,. for some particular purpose; 'keepjiWatoh over \ the ' Prime -Minister. • W hat threatened the head ■ \, of the' Government was -largely-a matter of j • v conjecture. It was freely stated,, howevor, .'- 't • ; i that, in - : spite of the official announcement > that Detective Cassells had gone Homo .-for , tho purpose of identifying one. Usher j ho/Was | ! ; really wantod to keep a look out for,.a certain i -; • person Who had * written; threatening , Sir • JosejA Ward. - The story.Tan that, somo, time • ago, this individual, who at one time occupied n : ! a; position of some prominence m England, ■ ; . , and who made tho acquaintance of Sir. Joseph Ward when he (the. Primo Minister) ■( was last in England, came out to New Zealand ■ on thL- understanding, according to his; own story,'' that the Prime Minister-. 'Would* look after vhis.- .welfare. - However . this may be, the person-, in; question ;-was ' - disappointed when •he , arrived, • -and after ■ doing various kinds of work in Wellington . - ho shook -the dust of .New Zealand -from his ■ feet, vowing vengeance man whom ho ; .; -alleged/ had induced him to come to New ■ Zealand; The threat may-.- not appear;_to. be sehous,- from the foregoing, but it is re:.ported to have: caused those most ■ concerned ■- some 'agitation, which fact is said to be borne out by tho circumstanco that for some months past every vessel arriviug : from , London has been carefully presumabljr. in order- to - give due warning .to "-'~ : the Prime Minister : should itho person' in .: , ' return to New Zealand, as it was .■ possible he . might do. Iln ■ view of .. ' the publication of the Auckland vorsion of :r :the matter, -the: story,•- as circulated' in -Wei-: lington, and which we. have 'had ; in our ,: ; " 'possession, for some; days, may throw some : v. light- -on the i situation. l For oniyelvea, we do not attaoh any importance to :-it. ,i We :: - are in , a position to . state definitely, that to .' . our 'own knowledge a particular individual ; did have a grievance, 'real or- imaginary, of the nature stated, against the Prime Minis- 1 -ter, 'that ho expressed 'ihimself- .somewhat --vioientlyjcoacernuig it, and that a month or- : two ■ back ,-he was in England.) This <is i-rather-: slender matejial,-however,lOrf-.which to.justifv • • the sending' ( of a* police, escort to - England . -with; Sir' Joseph Ward, and we should bo .' ■ i very j much snrprisefl to find that this has been done. « , ,