A PAINFUL CASE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 314, 2 May 1866, Page 3

A PAINFUL CASE.

About a fortnight ago (says the * Press') the body of a man named John Frost was found in an outhouse, near the site of the new Bank of New Zealand, Auckland. The unfortunate man, who was very old and infirm, had evidently died of cold and starvation. An inquest was held, and the jury returned the following verdict:—''That John Frost, on the 31st March instant, died in an out-house off Queen-street, through the inclemency of the weather and the want of the common necessaries of liie, and by no violent ways or means whatsoever, to the knowledge of the said jurors."

The 'Southern Cross' thus descried and commented on the case" John Frost was a man of good character, who supported himself by his own labor as a cooper, until enfeebled by age. Being too old to work, and we suppose without relatives to provide for him, he wandered about, having no settled place of abode. He had never applied to the police for relief; indeed, it does not appear that the poor man applied to anyone for assistance. Aged aud feeble, if he was too old and infirm to work, he was also too proud to beg and too honest to steal. Those who know him remarked upon his daily increasing feebleness, and apparent illness from the want of the proper necessaries of life; but they do not appear to have given any practical proof of sympathy until it was too late. Frost stole away from the gaze, anil commisseration, and neglect of his fellow men He crawled into an unfrequented shed, and stretching himself on his wretched straw pallet, wrapped a blanket about him, and lay down to die. He was seen however, and on being asked whe ther the police would be sent for to have him removed and taken care of, he refused their help. Perhaps he felt that he was then beyond all human assistance; perhaps he looked upon the interference of the police in his case as entailing degradation on him, even although the officers acted the part of good Samaritans to him. Who can tell? Chief-constable Molloy deposed that Frost had never been in the lock-up to his knowledge, and no officer is in a better position to speak on this point than the chief-constable. The same officer stated that he had never seen Frost the worse for drink. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the dying man felt that his character would be compromised if he were removed by the police, and treated as a vagrant who had no settled place of abode or visible means of livlihood. At all events, he preferred to die as he had lived, a free man—a houseless and friendless pauper, but a man who preferred to end his days thus than in the enjoyment of earthly comforts through the kindjy offices of the police. He was brought some nourishment by a man who saw him ; but it came too late. The bread and tea remained untouched beside the lifeless body of John Frost on the return of the person who had left the food with him, His last hour had come. He had closed his eyes in darkness and misery in this life, and opened them, let us hope, in ano her and a better state. But the circumstances attending the last days and death of John Frost demand something more than a mere passing notice. They suggest the idea that our system for the relief of the sick and destitute is ineffectual to relieve the poor and needy indeed. There is abundance of proof that public charity is recommended to persons who are not fit recipients of public bounty; and the sad facts brought out on the inquest on Johu Frost's body conclusively prove that any man or woman may die like a dog in our streets, none caring or interfering, it they chance to have a horror of charity dispensed by the police, or a spirit that misfortune and misery *annot pauperise. Such were traits in Frost's character; and notwithstanding that £4,000 were voted by the Provincial Council for the relief of' sick aud destitute, and maintenance of orphans,' he died from sheer destitution, in a wretched shed, iu the very heart of the city!"

The local journal says that on Wednesday last. Waikouaiti was visited 41 by a terrific sou'wester, which commenced about 8 a.m., and.continued throughout the day. Considerable damage has been sustained. The Presbyterian Church was almost wholly unroofed ; the roof of a cottage was lifted totally off by the force of the wind. Sheets of galvanised iron were taken into the air and carried like feathers for some distance; panes of glass were broken by the great pressure upon them; corn stacks were blown down and the sheaves scattered far and wide; parties out on horseback kept with difficulty their seats, and had at times to hold on by their horses' manes ; and clouds of dust were flying in all directions, blinding the pedestrian at almost every step he took; in fact, we do not know when we have witnessed such a furious gale." The following, cut from an English paper, requires no comment; unless we repeatthough in a different sense, and slightly altered—the words of a gallant GVimeau General, 44 What must they think of us at homer" — 44 As there is still a great demand for maid servants in Australia, and as good domestic servants in England can always obtain good situations and husbands without leaving the country, it is proposed that the promoters of female emigration should turn their attent on to the reformed inmates of certain asylums, and thus obtain a certain number of servants and wives far above the average of no inconsiderable number of the present population of Australia."

The 'Hawkes Bay Herald' says:—"Allusion has more than once been made in these columns to the fact of petroleum being present in large quantities in portions of the Poverty Bay district. By the last trip of the St Kilda, t vo fresh sampfc bottles h v been received by his Honor the Superintend j nt, the contents of which show that the discovery is one likely to be exceedingly valuable. The locality would seem to be a valley a j iniig the Waipaoa stream, a few miles above its junction with the Mangatu, and about thirtyfive miles from Taranganui. Within a small area, not less than seven or eight pe role urn springs are visible, from each of which are constantly exuding gas, oil, and water. The valley, indeed, is saturated with oil, while similar springs are to be found spotted over the adjacent rises, to some distance on either side of the valley. This discovery opens up a wide field for British enterprise, which will not, we hope, remain long unoccupied."