THE FISHERMAN JOHNSTONE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5442, 24 July 1879, Page 3

THE FISHERMAN JOHNSTONE.

SUSPECTED IMPOSMON ON THE BENEVOLENT. The letter signed by efcht fishermen, which appeared in tfuesday's HebaM), stating that an attempt was being fna'de to impose upon the public by a fisherman named Johnstone, has received strong confirmation from an official source. Detective Grace has spent several days in making a thorough inquiry into the alleged destruction of johnstone's. nets, &c, and ho reports that in liis^ opinion th 3 statements were circulated either by Jchnstone or his wife (most probably tho la ter) in order to impose on the benevolent. TJvJiEctetective first examined the rope stated to have been destroyed by sulphuric acid. He found the rope perfectly sound, though it ( was cut in three places. The cutting did not destroy the rope, as it could be spliced, and from circumstances which came to the detective's knowledge he believes that the rope was cut by Johnstone. There was not the slightest sign of any acid having been u?ed. The rope was stated to have been left coiled, but before it was cut it must have been uncoiled, which makes it improbable that any enemy of Johustone did it. The detective ako saw the cuts which Johnstone said were destroyed by sulphuric acid. They were rotten, although it was stated that they had been in nae only three months. The other fishermen living in the neighborhood said they h;id been rotted by being left in the flood-water during the late freshes, and in confirmation of this they showed him nets belonging to others, which had not been in use more than six weeks, but whbh wore nevertheless quite rotten from the effects of the iloodwater. Tho nets used in the salt water, belonging both to Johnstone and others, were perfectly sound, although some of thorn had been used for two years. To make more certain, however, the detective asked Johnstono on which parts of the Hot the most acid bad been thrown, and on his pointing to several places, cut those pieces out and took them to a chemist to be tested, when not a trace of iicid could bo found. The " cutting adrift of the boat " also assumed very small dimensions when inquired into by tho detective.' According to Jolvnstene's own account, the boat was cut adrift fully six months ago. It was a small boat, which had been hauled partly out of,, tho water, and tied by a rope. The rope was cut, but the boat was left where it lay, and did not go adrift. Lastly, it was stated that Johnstone had lost his means of livelihood by the loss of his nets, but tho detective found that he possessed thirteen other nets. The detective further reports that Johnstone's wife was some months ago in the habit of begging at various houses at Napier, and representing that her husband had met with serious accidents which incapacitated him from work. On one occasion she stated that he had j broken his leg at Waipawa, and on another that ho had lost five fingers by an accident, neither report having any foundation in truth. She also said that she had six starving children,. and made other statements which induced benevolent people to give her money. The detective adds that " he is led to believe* that this Mrs Johnstone is identical with the woman about whom there was a letter in the newspapers some eighteen months ago, complaining of her bogging."

We publish this report of Detective Grace in the hope that the matter will be sifted to the bottom. If he be right in his conclusions there has been an attempt at a most shameful imposition on the public ; if he was misled by the other fishermen then Johnstone is a most seriously injured individual. We express no opinion one way or the other, but leave the matter to be settled by the proper authorities, who will no doubt sift it to the bottom.