TARRED AND FEATHERED.

NZ Truth, Issue 112, 10 August 1907, Page 4

TARRED AND FEATHERED.

ROPING A GAY LOTHARIO. Lynch Law at Opunake. Teaching a Moral with Violence.' Residents of the peaceful cow centre of Opunake have of late been much disturbed by the amorous proclivities of an individual who is no respecter of the marriage tie. He is a Canadian, but has been some years m this prosperous dominion, and his penchant for other men's wives has got him into trouble. Some time ago he persisted m annoying a woman whose husband carries on business m Opunake, and on one occasion the lady sent a messenger to the shop of hubby, complaining of the Lothario's beastly attentions. Hubby followed the disturber of his domestic peace and spoilt the parting of his hair with the business-end of a riding whip. A charge of assualt followed m the local Court, but it was dismissed, the Magistrate holding, no doubt, that the home-spoiler deserved all he got. After this incident, the villain of this sketch obtained graft at the Kahui road creamery, but was sacked very shortly for some unexplained reason. He then went to board with an Opunake resident who is elderly and m bad health, and has a robust, middle-aged wife. It came to pass that the unfortunate old resident was kicked out of his own house by the boarder, who remained m occupation of the premises with the missus. ODunake regarded these proceedings with disfavor. The town isn't . A PARTICULARLY SAINTLY PLACE, but it has a dim consciousness of what is fairly decent, and it regarded the immoral intruder with the fierce eye of contumely. It made remarks to him individually on the street corner and regarded him with unseeing eyes when he applied for work. But the disreputable person stayed on. Finally, Opunake decided to act, and at 8.30 on Saturday night last (8.30 is auite late at Opunake, where the cows are milked before sunrise) a grim and determined band of lynchers surrounded the unsanctified abode of the Canadian.Knocking at the front door, the crowd told the missus to hand him over, but the "him" bolted to the back door, where he fell into the hands of the watchers there. The gang had. previously called at the miserable whare where the rightful husband had taken shelter, so that *he could order the stranger out of his house, but they found the old man too ill to move, and decided to act on their own responsibility. The captive was taken down the road, where his hair was carefully tcut close to his scalp. Opunake hasn't got a drainage system, and certain receptacles perform a useful and necessary function m the sanitary arrangements of the town. The crowd . had one of these receptacles, which had recently been m use, and contact with it was liable to occasion discomfort. The sinful prisoner commenced veiling- "Murder !" and "Police !" and every time he opened his mouth the obnoxious convenience mentioned was pulled down over his head. A rope was then tied round the victim, who was hurried to a creek about 250 yards from the house, and here by means of the rope he was see-sawed from one side of the pool to the other by two gangs each with a rope's end, and he was also made to sample the mud and ooze m the vicinity. Most of the wretch's clothes were then removed, and a can containing tar was upended on his head, and the contents trickled down his anatomy, which was presently coated with a LIBERAL SUPPLY OF FEATHERS. The sanitary convenience was again requisitioned, with deplorable results, and the awful-looking object was dragged to the whare of the old man whose happiness he had destroyed, and was ordered to go on his knees and apologise. The miserable scarecrow was slow in 1 obeying, and a stern-faced individual deftly clipped an eye-brow with a pair of scissors. The blackened mass of humanity still betrayed reluctance, arid the other eyebrow was removed, and the sticky horror then fell on its knees and obeyed. lij was somewhere about here that the local bobby, Hickman, appeared on the scene and rescued the victim, whom he removed to the station. The crowd followed at a respectful distance, and most of Opunake turned out to view the spectacle. Groans were given for the offending Canadian, but the bobby, who is recognised as a white man, was given three cheers, and as the procession moved down to the station, the populace sang "Roll the old chariot along." The rescued individual promised the constable that he would be out of Opunake at 7.30 a.m. next day, but as the report of the proceedings, written by "Truth's" special war correspondent at Opunake was despatched immediately after the stirring occurrence, this paper has had no opportunity of learning: if the unpopular person made himself scarce or not. The above particulars are published by this religious journal • TO POINT A MORAL', even if the details might be considered by the mealy-mouthed to be too unsavory to adorn a tale. Immorality is most detestable to "Truth," which seizes every opoortunity to make things rocky for the lodger who betrays another man's wife. The lodger is so numerous too. '