BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES AND MAGISTRATE.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 50, 1 March 1905, Page 5

BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES AND MAGISTRATE.

4 THE CASE OF MARGARET BRYANT 'FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE. T)r. M'Arthur, S.M., lias addressed Hie following lot tor to Iho Chairman of tho Rcnuvnlcul Trustees, dated 28(li FcbruHiy : — "Dear Sir, — Ro Margaret Bryant, — 1 nni sorry that you and aoino of your coTiusters have misapprehended altogether (ho purport of my letters. Your co-Trus-tee, Mr. Izard, put Iho matter in a nutshell when ho said 'Is, or is not, Dr. M'Arthur right with regard to his .statement as to the messago .sent to tho Adjutant of tho Salvation Army, and is he right with regard to tho treatment at (lie cottage?' With regard to tho treatment at tho cottage, I am in powtession of Margurot Bryant's statement written, not to mo for this occasion, but shortly* after ClirUtimus. You hivve the Matron's statement, and there, I presnimo, tho matter must rest, f must, however, point out that Margaret Bryant says sho was kept in the coltago wliero tho old men aro put' to die, while the Matron says 'tho room sho was in was" certainly not where tho old men aio put to die.' The Matron's is therefore not a denial of Margaret Bryant's statement in this reHpect. As to tho main pomt — tho interfcrenco of tho Secretaryi between tho Court and the Salvation Army — I contend that tho Lady Visitor's statement is amplo proof of such interference. Sho says the Secretary instructed her to call on t lie Adjutant of tho Salvation Army in charge of tho Paulino Home, and ask hor (1) if sho was willing to take Margaret Bryant and keep her altogether; (2) if .she would not lako her in and keep her, whether .she did not think it would bo better to leave Margaret Bryant to bo dealt with by the Trusteed and tho police? 1 If this is not interference between tho Court and the Salvation Army, 1 am at a loss to understand what it is. Since your meet ing, ami the war-whoops of your Secretary in tho Evening Post, I wrote to tho Adjutant as follows : — 'Magistralc'n Court, Wellington, '24th February. 'Dear Adjutant, — Re Margaret Bryant, — I regret having to trouble you over this matter, but after tho statement of Miss Kirk and the assertion* of Mr. A. W. Purvis, I would esteem it a favour if you would supply mo with a brief statement of whiit took placo between you and Mips Kirk in reference to tho above-named old lady. Mr. Purvis in open Court slated that 'tho Salvation Army absolutely refused to have anything to do with the woman!' Is this so? Miss Kirk'.s statement hits been publish, ed, and doubtless you aro awaro of its contents.' 'To which I received tho following reply, dated 24th February : — 'In answer to your letter to hand this morning, I desire to nay that the statement liiado "by Mr. Purvis in Court, 'that tho Salvation Army absolutely refused to have anyIliing to do with thi» woman,' is not correct. Tho following statement of the conversation which took place between Mies Kirk and myself will, I think, clear away any wrong impression nmdo on the mind of the public, and will fuither explain my altitude towaids Mrs. Bryant. Miss Kirk informed mo that Ihe Benevolent Trustees wished to know if I would tako Margaret Bryant into Paulino Home permanently, (o which I replied: I could not do .so, ax ouis was not a Homo for o'.d people, but that 1 hud, at the request of the police, taken her until they ascertained whether sho could go back to thy> Ohiro Homo. Further, Mi.ss Kirk said that tho Trustees wished I would not tako her at all— if not permanently— but leavo her to them and the police to be dealt with. Then, if sho were refused admittance to the Ohiio Home on account, of misconduct nhe would have to go to gaol n « a punishment, mentioning that on previous occasion.* when expelled from the Ohiro Homo sho was brought before tho Court for vugrancy, and, owing to our taking her into Paulina temporarily whilst on remand, sho eventually went back to Ohiro Homo in the «prnt of detianco after pr.tct.icaJly having had a 'good time.' Mis* KiVk also remarked that it would have ilono Margaret Bryant good to have been in gaol instead of in our Home during tho fi-w days nhc had been on remand. On th& understanding that tliu Trustees were dealing with Marg.trot Bryant's ca.«o that afternoon, and that the Secretary would convey their decision on tho ca.so direct to the* police, 1 agreed not to admit her to our Home itguin during that day. Consequently, when Mis. Heck, the Police Matron,called on the (wnio day with Margaret Bryant I rufused to take her in on the ground that tho case was being dealt with by tho Benevolent Trustees at tho time, and I advised Mrs. Beck to keep her until tho Trustees gave thoir decision. As you aro awaro, I admitted the old lady tho following morning when I found the Benevolent i'rustee.s had refused her leadmittanco to tho Ohiio Home, and there was nothing but gaol for her. Margaret Bryant submits willingly to tho. discipline of our Home, and in this respect is no trouble, but wo cannot convert our Rescue Home into ono for tho aged and needy, and our space is already too limitoil to deal with tho rescuo ' cases that come into our hands. 1 regrot tho neceswtv of giving such a detailed explanation of this caao, which, under other circumstances, I would not have done, but ft'ping that my name, and that of tho Satvation Army, M'ns introduced into this caso by a statement mado by Mr. Purvis in open Court, and has been so freely mado use of by tho Benevolent. Trustees, in justice to our organisation 1 feel it my duty to do so.' "Tho Adjutant's letter will, I think, sufficiently re-establish mo in tho opinion of tho public after tho tall talk of tho Secretary of assertive proclivities, of challenging propensities, and of intimate knowledges of tho everlasting bonfire, as confessed in his reference to 'perfect hell.' In conclusion, I would like respectfully to tell you that T have never expressed any desire to run the Homo, nor do I intend to attempt it. What I have done has come in tho course of my duty as Magistrate, which pans me out quite as much work as I am at present inclined to take on. I must also toll ono of your co-Trustees who has been fourteen years a membor of tho "Board, and has nevor known a case of ill-treatment, that this does not disprove the fact of illtreatment. His want of knowledge may bo capable of other explanations which 1 need not mention. 1 cannot help his surprL* at my sending 'a letter saying practically that their Secretary had attempted to interfere with tho 'Court and the Salvation Army.' 1 did so, and am still of the samo opinion. Some folks are easily surprised. 1 am pleased that tho Trustees have decided l<> offer Margaret Krvant outside assistance, which probably, under tin* oircuinst-'Hice.s, is the best solution of tho matter." Tn reply to the übovo letter tho Magistrate received the following from tho Secletary of tho Trustees, dated 28th February: — ''Sir. — I have tho honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter ro Maigaret Bryant, addressed to tho Chairman, and in reply I ani directed to inform you that the Trustees have finally dealt with thia case." ♦