Untitled

New Zealander, Volume XXIII, Issue 2569, 3 November 1865, Page 2

Never in rroderr days have the records of crime contained more horrible atrocities than have of late disgraced the mother country. Numerous they are too, but it is not their number that strikes him who reads the account, so much as the fearfully atrocious nature of them ; and it becomes a serious question to ask how those things should be, and is there no remedy for them. At one time garotting was in fashion, now murder is ; ami simple murder has grown so common that it almost passes by in silence, unnoticed and unthought of, while that alone is orthy of sensation which is accompanied by adultery, by unnatural cruelty, or by some such hideous attendant. Women as well as men have been engaged in these deeds, and from ranks of the gentle sex are gathered the instruments of the fellest crn« ty, as well as from the ranks'of those whose coarser nature might seem to make them more liable to descend to the condition of mere brutes. Constance Kent and Esther Lack and Charlotte WinsOr share the glory with Edward Pritchard aud Stephen Forward. In each of these cases we find a novelty of motive or an amount of atrocity which renders them exceptional, and stamps them on the mmd with aterrifyiog vividness. Constance Kent, the young and innocent girl, loved and admired, companion of little children, living w>tb them, sleeping with them, with a precociousuess of crime and a cunning of execution which for years baffled the researches of a vigilant police, aud would have baffled

for ever but that she herself con ,*• cuts her little brother's throat, her motive is girlish jealousy. y sn iKR Lack kills her own three children, because she thinks they will J,e an incumbrance, to her husbaiul. ][]nt what shall we say of t'harlott* Win - sob, the professional killer of little itlren ? Her crime is so horrid that it -cems impossible that there could |iw, and walk, and meet the light of *!: iv. a creature called a woman, who t . ( vr Ibe guilty of that for which she h;p :, een sentenced to death. Nor ,;1 thought stop here, but is led irre:ti!>ly onward to the fear that but one j-wtnnce has been brought to light, and t , n there are other Charlotte \Vin<oi.s in society who carry on their Jiibolical trade unknown and uusus- ,»■ •ted. Where woman haslosther honor i thing is too venturesome to hide the i and this is not confined to the . -g-p of society alone, but may per»Viidi- every station and degree. And rj >v we know that an instrument will jii.i be wanting, ready to do anything, r v ~ the most fiendish deed, for a few 'killings’ pay ; and it cannot but be jXiml that, with the death of Charlotte Wi.nsor, which seems even yet p of to be certain, as a technical flaw .n > v get her off, the evil will not be J .ne away with. Edward William Pritchard was a man described as -gentle, and even soft, in his manner; very industrious, and, in a certain way, .learned ; a man who connected him>elf, whenever he could, with scientific societies ; read everything, and wrote si g - eat deal ; —an accomplished man, i i fact : a second Eugene Aram, and the last that could be suspected of the <ri,iilt of murder. Yet he killed his ■ own wife and her mother ; and not by u sudden deed, but by slow degrees, sitting calmly by their bedsides and watching with scientific eye and unmoved heart the dreadful agonies he 'had inflicted on them. Stephen Forward, the broken-down billiard marker, was also a man of education, j id he murdered three children sup- ; used to be his own, one known to be bis, and his wife, because “ society was in fault,” and he must be aveuged upon it.

How is it that such crimes as these should rage as a pestileuce through the land in this nineteenth century 6f enlightenment, following each other - ' ith frightful rapidity ? Where does 1 ie disease first take its rise ? Js there no remedy? When the ■ scourge of cholera comes westward from the east, no man can tell the i ;act spot where first it raged, or the t -cact day on which it commenced; nor <• m we tell now where these crimes fust came from, nor the first day on which they began. Vve only know S unt now they exist, overspreading the land as a periodical plague. We write of inverted morality, and are forced to ■?« top with. . that solution- Certain of minds exist at certain periods [Electro Biologists, Animal Magnetiz tS, and Spiritualists in general tell ns that a current runs through the human mind and body as it does through the copper wire—now with greater force, and now with less—leading to certain results at one time, and to certain other results at other times. They tell us that so much does this exist that in a crowded street it will be noticed that the human current is not always equally flowing, and they lay this effect to the cause of animal magnetism Let nay one watch for himself and he will f=eo that it is so—now there is a “ block,” so dense come vehicles and passers by, now it stops almost entirely, and anon comes denser than ever. So we see the current of crime flow, now stronger, now weaker, and no one can tell the cause It is so, .and we must take the fact and make the best of it. We can moralise and talk of inverted morality; but it will not do, in seeking a practical remedy, to turn Justice from her course, as we have seen not very long ago in New South Wales, where theescortrobbers weretried for their lives, and whe > she trembled iu her seat and was frightened into cruelty . or again, as we have seen the other day in America, when the murderess Mart Ha ris was acquitted and carried in triumph from the court, because the man she killed was of an unworthy character, and had jilted, I hough not ‘‘wronged,” her. Justice must take her course, and no more; she must not diverge from it any more to sentimental mercy than to sentimental cruelty, and if we do not Jiang a man for a crime that should he only punished with imprisonment, neither must we let the murderer off through a sentiihental idea. Experts are busy at home in finding some of these interesting criminals mad, and after dealing death they go to a Lunatic Asylum to enjoy many of the good things of life, while their less eccentric or less interesting companion who only kills is hanged. WV do not say that the poor mad creature is to he drove to death for that which it does in its madness; but it seems a fearful thing that the lives of men, nay of women, nay of little children who can sesree babble the word mother, are to be left at the mercy of such as those we have mentioned. But are we not getting over-merciful ? Are we not sentimentalising too much now-a-days upon the condition of the “poor convict,” forgetful of the enormity of the crime ■which has brought punishment on him ? Though we cannot advocate the slightest return To the usages of barbarity, and because a crime is abhorrent, sentence a man to a punishment that is hrutd ; yet the criminal should be proved thoroughly irresponsible through the visitation of God before be or she had one iota of just punishment relaxed. Tin’s does not pledge us to inflict the punishment of hanging even for murder, but it pledges us to the inflicting of punishments that will be severe enough to frighten others, if H does not altogether deter them, and there we must be content This disease of crime is unfortunately one which does not succumb to any sudden remedy, however severe it may be. As it arises from the vicious mind, so is it less accessible to our punishments, TOhich are directed almost solely against

the body;'and •'o we-' can but go on striving to check it, striving imperfectly to cure it-, until some great change in mart’s, nature 1 takes 1 pfarte, Or some new penal system is established of a far more perfect' character than our present one. *

Amongst the candidates for seats in the Provincial Council we notice the names of Mr. P. Herapath and Mr. C. F. Mitchell, whose addresses appear in this day’s issue, the former to the electors of Newton, and the latter to those of City West. Yesterday morning a serious accident occurred to a young man named Ralph Tattersal, who was employed in painting the front of Mr. Rout’s premises in High-street. He was about to step from the upper round of the ladder on to the flat over th ■ shop when his foc-t slipped, and he fell violently to the ground, a height of some fifteen or sixteen feet. He was conveyed to the guardroom, when it was jpund that he had received severe injuries of the hip, and likewise that there was a severe contusion of the forehead. He was afterwards conveyed to his own residence in a cab. An able and interesting lecture on “ Dr. Johnson’s Tour to the Hebrides” was delivered by VV. Willway. Esq., in the Princes-street school-room, Onehunga, on Tuesday evening, before a large audience, wbo appeared highly pleased both with the subject and the manner in which the lecture was treated. We are glad to announce that J. C. Firth, Esq., will deliver a lecture in the same room on Tuesday next. Subject: “Waikato and the Rebel Districts.” There will doubtless be a crowded house, as the subject and lecturer are well worth listening to. We may mention that Mr. Firth has just returned from the rebel districts of the Waikato. The schooner ‘Jane,’ Captain Faulkner, had a narrow escape from being wrecked at Opotiki. She left Auckland a few days ago with a cargo of Commissariat stores, and upon reaching Opotiki found that there was too heavy a sea on the bar, and the captain, thinking it dangerous to enter, anchored outside. After lying at anchor a few hours, the wind increased to a gale from the S.W. The anchors were then slipped and the vessel run for Tauranga, where she arrived in safety. Shortly before the gale increased, the ‘ Huntress’ ’ boat boarded the ‘ Jane,’ and took the mail on shore. 4 We understand that a letter from Mr*. J C. Firth will appear in to-day’s issue of a contemporary, announcing that Mr. Firth declines to allow himself to be put in nomination for City West.

A bazaar is to be held towards the close of the present month in aid of the building fund of f he Newton Congregational Church, and a committee of ladies has been appointed, whose names will be seen in an advertisement in to-day’s issue, and who will receive contributions in fancy work, &c., to dispose of on the occasion. A meeting of the supporters of Mr. O’Rorke, and Mr. Brookfield, will be held this evening in the Church of England School-room, Onehunga, and the friends of Mr. Powditch are also called together at James Deane’s cottage, Queen-street The committee for securing the return of Mr. Hugh Coolahan as member of the Provincial Council for City West, met last evening at the committee-room, next door to Mr. Peter Grace’s office, and were shortly afterwards joined by other electors of the district, who had met at Mr. Macready’s. It was resolved by the joint meeting that they would support the following candidates to the exclusion of others:—Messrs. John Williamson, James O’Neill, Patrick Dignan, William Swanson, and Hugh Coolahan.

The Prince of Wales Theatre was crowded last evening on the occasion of Major-General Chute’3 patronising‘tlfe’performance of Mr. and Mrs. Case. The “ Drawing Room ” was as successful as ever. Mrs. Case’s changes of character, Mr. Case’s performances on violin and concertina, and, indeed, the entire novelty of the entertainment have taken the audiences by surprise, and elicited constant rounds of applause, and such frequent encores that it puts almost a tax upon the artistes of having to give a double seance. A Trip to the Rhine is to be played this evening, and if it is as successful as its predecessors Mr. aud Mrs. Case will have nothing to compliin of in the appreciation of Auckland audiences, and the audience will have seen such a display of talent as seldom visits the shores of New Zealand. The Board of Inland Revenue have issued a circular to the agents for the payment of dividends on foreign and colonial loans, making a change of some importance to the owners of such securities residing abroad. The board allege that the existing regulations, under which payments are allowed to be made without deduction for income taxon coupons belonging to foreigners residing abroad, are not sufficient for the protection of the revenue. They have consequently determined that on and after the Ist September next this relief shall not be given in any case without the production of an affidavit, made by the claimant at his place of abode before a consul or notary, to the effect that the bonds from which the coupons are cut are in his possession and are his bona fide property, and that no British subject or foreigner residing in England is in any way interested therein. —Australian Mail, August 16.

The annexed figures show the various directions taken by the 209,900 persons who emigrated last year:—United States, 147,042 ; Central and South America, 2;963; Canada, 11,759 ; New Brunswick, 396 ; Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 433 ; Newfoundland, 33 ; Prince Edward Island, 8; Vancouver’s Island, 92; Jamaica, 343; British Guiana, 220 ; Trinidad, 128 ; other West Indian settlements, 1.215; the East Indies, 1,267; China, 205 ; Japan, 4; the Mauritius, 28 ; Western Africa, St. Helena, Madeira, Malta, &c., 364 ; the Cape of Good Hope, 873; Natal, 527 ; Mexico. 43 ; the Falkland Islands, 5 ; the Sandwich Islands, 15; New South Wales, 4,689; Queensland, 7,18'; Victoria, 13,909 ; South Australia, 2,842 .; Western Australia, 299 ; Tasmania, 50 ; New Zealand, 11,970. It is a remarkable fact that 7 out of every 10 persons who emigrate from the United Kingdom thus proceed to the United States. The emigration to the troubled ■territories of the Federal States was on a larger scale last year than it had been since 1854. On the other hand, the emigration to British North America and the Australian colonies somewhat declined last year. A storm, unprecedented in severity, swept over Napier on the night of Thursday last. The squalls, which followed close upon each otherl were of hurricane strength, and the strongest buildings shook to the foundation. Trees have been uprooted in many places, and numerous fences levelled' with the ground. The men of the 70th Regiment, having been encamped on an exposed spot, were the greatest sufferers, their tents having been carried away or split to ribbons, and their kits blown all over the island.— Hawke's Bay Herald. October 28. j Rain is now much wanted in this district. The grass is burnt up by the long continued drought, and the sheep tanner will be a heavy" sufferer should the heavens not speedily be opened. — f/airk- 's Bay Herald, October 28. A correspondent furnishes us Hawke’s Bay Herald ) with the following:—On Sunday last, about II o’clock a.m., a punt left the shore near' Johnston’s Hotel for the lake, containing a pleasure party, consisting of five men and a boy.After going about 80 yards from shore, and when in the centre ol the stream, the boat suddenly capsized. ■ All the men were capital swimmer?, but the poor boy was left to buffet with the waves as best he couid, aud was upon the point of going down when Private Roberts, of the Band 70th Regiment, regardless of danger, and though greatlv impeded by the weight of his own clothes, when he heard the screams of the hoy. gallantly turned about, and readied the poor lad just in time to save him from a watery grave. One of the men, although a very expert swimmer under ordinary circumstances, lost all presence of mind, and began to struggle in the water, the current, which was running very switt at the time, taking him along with it. The Band Sergeant of the 70th Regiment, who was walking along the b-ach, hearing the cries of the drowning man, ran to the spot, and (although dressed in his regi-

1 mentals), with Spartan courage, flung himself headlong into the current, and, with one hand holding the head of the half-drowned man above water, and the other buffeting the current, bore his dangerous freight gallantly to terra Jirma. I am certain that, but for the noble and gallant action of Sergeant Oakley and Private Roberts, which has seldom been surpassed in daring intrepidity, two of the unfortunate pleasure party would have met with a watery grave. I hope that the young men of Napier will see from this the necessity of learning and the advantage of being good swimmers. We have received intelligence from Tasmania to the 18th October, but it is devoid of interest in local matters. We take the following from the Tasmanian Morning Herald of the above date: By telegram from Melbourne, via Launceston, news has been received of several murders having taken place. The woman Harvey, and her son-in-law, the daughter of Euphemia and Fui Vigeroni,have been committed for trial for the Sunbury murder. A man named Michael O’Brien gave himself up for shooting at a man who had been assaulting his wife, and whose screams attracted O’Brien to the hut. He followed him with the gun while leaving the hut and shot him dead. The coroner’s jury refused to find any other verdict than that of justifiable homicide, but the P.M. sent the accused for trial. Falcon has been scratched for the free handicap. Butler was found guilty of murdering his mother at Tainworth; the father was acquitted of the murder. The importation of cattle from Victoria has been prohibited at Canterbury. A sample of New Zealand coal of the most superior kind from Nelson was exhibited at Melbourne, and caused considerable excitement.