BRUTAL BRIGHTWELL, J.P.,

NZ Truth, Issue 94, 6 April 1907, Page 5

BRUTAL BRIGHTWELL, J.P.,

RAISES THE ROOF OVER A TENANT.

The Dirtiest of Damnably Dirty Deeds.

A Family Turned Out to Satisfy a Rapacious Landlord.

In the sacred cause of pot-bellied, plutocratic "proputty" one hears too often, unfortunately, of deeds done that would wring tears of pity from a stolid, stony sphinx. It is generally m the cause of rich landlordism that the dirtiest of damnably dirty deeds are done, and as the Law is ever on the side of the pot-bellied push, no swift retribution can be hoped for, and nothing can be done save turning on those responsible the glassy, icy stare of pitying, indignant, yet impotent humanity. Landlordism is a curse when it is actuated by the deadly, soul-devouring vice of avarice. The human being once possessed by the devil of avarice is transformed into a fiend incarnate. Happiness and contentment he knows not ; there is no struggle to stifle the voice of conscience, because tlie avaricious miserly landlord, who makes gold his God, is coricfenceless, cold, cruel, callous and heartless. His feelings are benumbed ; he is a stranger to pity, and dead to the sufferings and sorrows of those who struggle manfully apd eternally to satisfy his rapaoious demand for his weekly rent. 1 There are, of oourse, landlords and landlords. Many hesitate at the thought of putting m the bum-bail-iff to seirze the few paltry sticks of furniture which might satisfy the lust for gold. There are some landlords who look very properly on their property as good paying investments who, troubled with recalcitrant or rent-dodging tenants, who will not pay up at any cost, have them promptly bundled out and advised to give someone else a turn. It is, however, in '.the category of the greedy, grasping, blood-sucking, gold worshipping landlord, that this paper prefers to place ; MR WIULIAM HEBER BRIGHTWELL, J. P., landed gent, bowler, and of independent means, of Majoribanks-street,, Wellington. ,For what he did last Wednesday morning at Newtown there is no punitive force known to the Law; for what he did, he might, m landlord-ridden Ireland have been shot dead m his tracks and hi*s carcase left to rot and stink m some miry bog. There is no law m existence m these highly civilised times that can requite the cowardly expedient of a gold-grabbing gent of independent means, who, with his own hands, raises the roof of a hunuble cot, owned by himself, and occupied by a hard-working man, his wife and young family, who owed hijn, will it. be credited, just onq week's rent ,! There is no law m these days of grace for such cowardly brutes j they were more civilised m Merrie England a century or more ago, when Mr Brightwell would have sat up m the stocks and would not have been such a shining light as he is now. -The cottage tha-t, had its roof lifted! by its owner, Brightwell, is situated at the corner of Rhodes and Riddi-ford-streets, Newtown. Up till Wednesday last, and for the past 15 or 16 months, it had been occupied by a young married man named Errickson, a driver by occupation, his wife and two children, aged four and three years respectively. From aught that is known Errickson is a straight-go-ing, hard-working, respectable man, paying his way wherever he goes, and lived happy and contented under BRJGHTWEI-IL'S BLIGHTED ROOF, firmly impressed with the idea that "an Englishman's , home is his castle." As far as Errickson is concerned that idea has turned out to be as, as it generally is, unutterable bunkum. There is this much as certain as anything can possibly he, Erriokson faithfully paid his rent, as his rent receipt book conclusively proves. Uo.till between January and February last, Brightwell's due, 14s per week, was paid regularly.. During the period stated three or four week§ were allowed to run into arrears and Brightwell showed the kind of soulless skunk that he is by putting m a •'•bum," and Errickson, somehow or other, managed to scrape together the few paltry pounds to satisfy Brightwell's demand, and out the "bum" was biffed. Without any earthly reason, and even if a week or two .weeft's rent was due, .no justification can surely be pleaded for the threat, . subsequently carried into execution, Errickson received .the following savagely penned epistle : * Monday, March 25, 1907.. Mr W. Errickson, Corner of Rhodes and Riddifordstreets, Newtown. I hereby give you notice to quit the House you now occupy by next Saturday or Monday morning at the latest. j I am going to take roof off on Monday morning. , I will stand no more of your humbug; W. PL Brightwell. What Brightwell the beauty meant by "no more of your humbug" Errickson cannot for the life of him understand. The rent-book clearly shows that from February the landlord's tithes had been regularly gathered. Last Monday the date on which the roof was to.be removed, arrived m due course, so did Brightwell, who showed no great desire to get to work, BUT WANTED HIS RENT, and that rent Errickson did not have, as he was not to be paid till the following night. Brightwell went away, and returned on Wednesday morning last. Strange to relate, at about the time Brightwell was at his Rhodes and Riddiford-streets property, preparatory to raising the roof, and raising Cain and Hell at the same time, and scaring a young married woman and her two children almost into fits, Errickson was at the Brightwell nuaison settling up with his rent. Brightwell the sordid savage was not aware ot this, and unaided (no doubt the unfeeling cur could not find any man heartless enough to undertake the dirty work, or assist m the commission of what ought to be a crime) he wrenched the galvanised iron roofing off three of' the rooms, when Errickson him-

self arrived on the scene. This waa at breakfast time, and when he had; gone away to satiate Brightwell's burning lust for gold, his wife and bairns were m bed, and out of which) they were practically dragged by — the infuriated landlord. Erricksom viewed the scene of wanton destruct-* ion, and the wonder is he did not thrash Brightwell within an inch ot his life, and if he had murdered tha unfeeling coot, Brightwell, . straightaway no jury would be found who Would convict him. There was his? wife and children crying bitterly,, and he so mastered his outraged! • feelings as to inform Brightwell that his rent bad. been paid. His whole manner changed. His gold lust having been satisfied, he clambered downoff the roof and said something about not being at the beck and call of Errickson, Anyhow, he CRAWLED OFF LIKE A WHIPPED! CUR, and no doubt went hack to' his owni 'appy 'ame, m Majoribank-street^ where he scrawled the following, received by Errickson, the same day : 86, Majoribank-street, Wellington, April 3rd, 1907. Mr..- W. Errickson, Sir,— You • should have left the house w*hen I notified you to do so. I will now give you till Saturday next to get out before proceeding further with taking off the roof. This has nothing to do with the previous notice, and is only done to give you an opportunity to geti away. W. ,H. Brightwell. The roof had been raised off the two bed-rooms of the house and another, leaving Errickson's property to the mercy of Wellington's uncertain atmospheric conditions. Errickson sought le#al advice, but found that he was helpless, that the law was against him, and that 'Brightwell, the beast, could do just as he pleased with his own property. Errickson's plight was indeed a sad one. He refused any palliating offer that .this disgrace to the Commission of the Peace extended, and set about . .ak^ca^fofrssfea store his chattels m the v ow*s&TEroP^ room. Kind neighbors, however, came to his assistance and stored his goods for him, more thin one offering shelter for the night. To burden himself on the kind-hearted neighbors Errickson could not think of doing, and he set about at once to secure "a new home and a more humane landlord. Householders m Wellington know the difficulties to be experienced m securing a house m Wellington, and Errickson soon found that he had a big task on hand and made- the best of a bad .job by spreading the night m the covered room. Moreover, he was advised to stay m the house sill Saturday, and .this adyiice he intended. to follow, if_ he did not, m the meantime, 1 secure a new home. ; Beauty Brightwell, ; J.P., however,- was not inaotiwe. Afi ter having given Ms permission to ; Errickson to stay on the premises till Saturday, THE HEARTLESS BRUTE * thought the matter over, and Errick-. son received, the following last Thursday morning : •-*. 86, Majoribanks-street, Wellington, April 3rd> 1907. Mr W. Errickson, Sir.pYou quite disregarded my; notice to quit last Monday. I shall not put the root on againt as it is my intention to . pull the • hous» down aM either sell the land/ or put a shop upon it. » You have only yourself to blame «, if you are put to any inconvenience. W. H. Brightwell. Such heartlessness one can hardly imagine m a human being, but this , Brightwell person seems to be m a class of his own. Brightwell ought to consider himself a lucky man that there is a law for^ the rich and none for the poor. Perhaps there is m store for him a day of reckoning. If ever that day does come, mercy ho. need not expect. Let hiro remember the parable of Dives and Lazarus. For such as Brightwell common humanity blushes with shame. It ia actions of which he is guilty that makes countless thousands mourn. For him, if there is a hereafter, it will be a damned hot and thirsty, one.