THE CASE OF THE BOY COYLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9065, 28 May 1888, Page 3

THE CASE OF THE BOY COYLE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —I notice in this morning's issne of your journal, under the heading of " Larrikinism," a letter from a Mr. James Burtt with reference to some eccentric woman, whom the writer alleges some five* and-twenty young larrikins were worrying. Now, sir, Mr. Burtt's statement re thab affair may or may not be the correct version, but about that I have nothing to do. Mr. Burtt, however, prefaces his statement to that incident thusly : —"The other day a poor, harmless old man was charged with having assaulted a boy, and was sent to prison. His act was an illegal one, but I do nob see that the Magistrates' administered any caution to the boy, who, it appears, was in the habit of tormenting the old man." Now, sir, when Mr. Burtt writes to the newspapers, he should, in my opinion, confine himself to truth, and not wickedly draw upon his imagination. My son, Walter Coyle (the boy Mr. Burtt refers to) is neither a larrikin, nor did he directly or indirectly molest the old "sandwich" man. My son was quietly looking into a window, eating an apple, and had been thusly engaged for upwards of five minutes when the old man Taylor came up behind my son and struck him, as shown in the evidence. Now, sir, to show you beyond the shadow of a doubb that my son could not possibly have been the boy that; molested Taylor (if molested he was), bia employers (the Melbourne Clothing Company) directed the lad to go outside and watch their goods, which the boy did, the boot shop he was looking into being next door to his master's premises. It is bad enough in all conscience for my son to have been brutally assaulted and under the doo. tor's hands this present moment suffering, intense pain, without Mr. Burtt charging him with conduct towards Taylor or any other person, of which my son was as innocent, as a newly-born child.—lam, &c, M. Coyle, Mother of Walter Coyle. Summer-street, Eden Terrace, May 23, 1888.