Life in Wellington.

Hastings Standard, Issue 109, 1 September 1896, Page 3

Life in Wellington.

Life is a journey: on we go through many a scene of joy and woe. —Combe. The Petone Tragedy. The tragedies committed in and around have been noticeably sensational. During the past four or five years we have Lad several of these startling events. One Sunday morning about three years ago a seaman from one of the vessels in port was shot by an officer belonging to the Sitme ship. It was ;> very sensational affair, the more so as the deed wns done in broad daylight, and many unfortuuate people were eye-witnesses of the tragedy. The man who commit'.od tins crime. FLwllay I think was his name, escaped the gallows, his punishment being ten years' for manslaughter. A few months ago there was that terribly tragic scene in an auction room in the city, when a demented woman put a bullet into a man in the presence of a room full of people. The culprit on this occasion, Mrs Locher, successfully eluded the hangman, the jury returning a verdict of insanity and irresponsibility for the deed. The double murder at Pet one is devoid of any redeeming fi >u le It was evidently done in cold blood, and, according to the police theory, robbery was the motive. The two old people were stabbed to death, and the cash, box is reported to be missing. It is alleged that the man arrested on suspicion can give a clear account of his doings and whereabouts on the night of the murder, while it is further alleged that he was on the " razzle that night, and the crime was not the work of a drunken man. Amongst the unpaid amateur detectives the theory is held tb.at more than one person had a hnnd in the tragedy, but there is no clue to give any color" to this theory. Wellington, however, has a gaol, and some brilliant characters are lodged there. It may be that two or three desperate characters have been liberated recently, and these mav have endeavored to make a haul before departing• for fresh fields; if so, they appear to have chosen well. Two helpless old people would be no match for desperate criminals. It would occasion me no surprise to hear that other arrests have been made in connection with this tragedv. X Pays. With the above title there is to be issued shortly " an illustrated weekly up-to-date paper," I quote from the prospectus of the new rag. This may be taken as the first rays of the dawning general election, and I fancy the National Ass is not unconnected with the new venture. There is nothing discreditable in this, provided the paper is equal to the promises made in the prospectus. Wellington is indeed leagues behind other large centres in its newspaper epterprise. The existing papers work on the old lines, the proprietors evidently still look upon Wellington as a sort of fishing village, the people of which are supposed to be content with dry as dust parish news and gutter politics. As the title of the new weekly indicates, -it will see through everybody and everything. It will diagnose the maladies of the body politic, and, having located the ailment", will point out the method of cure."" A very large order for a very voung paper. The best thing in the prospectus is the par which says, •' All contributions which are accepted, whether literary or artistic, will be paid for. The proprietors recognise that the product of people's brains is wealth, and, as such have a value, if marketable." This is encouraging for the band of scribblers that swarm the Empire City, and it must be confessed that there is some really good talent in the crowd. X Kays promises to cover a wide field, as the staff is alleged to be conversant with the Banking, Mercantile, Mining, Agricultural, Political, Scientific. Social, and Sporting worlds, and advice gratis is to be given on all subjects except law, medicine, or religion. There is room for a good weekly paper in Wellington, and if X Kays does not. develop into a flamboyant political rag eternally screeching at the Seddon crowd, there is every prospect of it lingering long in the newspaper world, I fancy Harding, erstwhile of Napier, and well known as the proprietor and publisher of Typo will print the new weekly ; if so we can make sure of it being artistically got up and well printed. The Temperance Crabb. Writing of newspapers reminds me that Mr Crabb, the leader of the local *' Coldstream Guards," has knocked £SO and costs out of the New Zealand Times over his libel action against that paper. Crabb has done rather well lately, having won a slander case while figuring as defendant and a libel action as plaintiff. The advertisement he gets over these two suits must be worth a lot, not only to himself as a Temperance lecturer, but also to the cause of Prohibition. Matters are beginning to look more lively between the Prohibitionists and publicans, and the street spouting on Saturday nights, with the interjections and repartee indulged in, is worth listening to.* The liquor people, however, always appear to me to make the huge mistake of giving their opponents a free and effective advertisement through bad tactics. There will be riotous times when the liquor lecturer gets on the job and harangues the crowd at the same street corner as the Temperance lecturer. Crabb sued for .£2OOO damages and got a verdict for £SO. The New Zealand Times will no doubt pay up with a smile, and toe the scratch lor the general election. Those who were gloating of the probability of a heavy fine and the bursting of the paper feel very disappointed. It would be surprising to many to know that there are quite a number of sharks waiting to bite at the paper when it comes into the market, but theae hungry fishes will have to wait for many a long day before thev get the opportunity to bite, i Mr P. S. Cassidy, the general manager of the Times has "been seriously ill, and I understand he is taking a sea trip for the benefit of his health. Sydney I believe is to be the scene of his holiday trip. The Parliamentary Stakes. The Labor Tarty are getting their string into training for the Parliamentary Stakes. A quartette were put to easy work on Friday evening, but they did not shape well. They are, to speak the truth, a scraggy lot, with bad fetlocks, split-hoofs, and other peculiarities. If the Labor Party have nothing better to represent them in the race then they are hopelessly beaten before they start. On Friday evening the quartette were trotted out to show their points and paces. The first to appear on the scene was Russell. He is stabled in a saddler's, I think. His chief point is national not local prohibition. On other matters he is as wise as a goose. His pace will never make him a winner. He is best in the paddock with the other hacks. The next to appear was Fisher, initialled 1). P., and brother of Our George, a well-known winner and a game old horse. D. P. Fi#her is in favor of the Government, very strongly so. and is strong on borrowing. Generally speaking. he would run himself inside out, or chang In i color or turn a somersault if b\ domg so he can catch the Returning Officer se>e tel. Be will want a lot of

training, which he cannot stand, and even if he did lie would not be worth a feed of oats, for lie can never win. Then comes Hutcheson, not to be. confounded with Lawyer Hutchison, find no relative of his. This is a fcirly well-bred moke, with many good points, carries himself well, and is fairly sound. He is by far the pick of the' bunch, bin even he is not good enough to run in ;i field of first-class political hacks. I fancy he will be selected to carry the Labor colours, but he is not c!i«.ss enough to win a place. The last of the quartette is Worth, an old horse, who was alleged to be very good in municipal stakes at small meetings. He ran for the mayoralty twice, and was beaten each time. For the Parliamentary Stakes he stands no chance whatever, nntl I fancy I could k.c'< my old hat over the course faster than he could gallop over it. He is built on the " straight out Socialist" principle, and is cramped with many fads. He should be turned out to grass or be kept for municipal races. The Labor Party will not win in "Wellington for the simple reason that they will persist in discounting their opponents. Stout and Dutliie are two good men, and to beat them the Labor-Liberal Party must put up strong men. Tlve National Ass. is well organised in the city, which is another factor that must be taken into account. Theo. Thilpy. August 81, 1896.