GISBORNE GOSSIP.

NZ Truth, Issue 142, 7 March 1908, Page 5

GISBORNE GOSSIP.

BUNG AND THE BARMAIDS. Perjury, Slander, and Other Things. JURY FIND NO TRUE BILL AGAINST BURKE. Who Sent Sadie That Awful Postcard? j DETECTIVE MADDERN AND HIS PROTEGES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL— BY^WIiRE).

'All Gisborne is presently concerned' m the legal battles of" a publican named Joseph Burke and a barmaid »' lately m his employ named Sadie "Watson. What the outcome of it all Will be is hard to. say, though the result of a pending suit for slander instituted by Miss Watson against Burke may clear the very murky atmosphere of things generally; Burke keens the Record Reign mxbbery at 1 Gisbbrne, arid m days not long gone ' bv : , the Jrade "in' fi2& was stupendous^ \ his.ptiticipil. clients being btishmen ' and -other hard toilers who ought to content themselves with common beer. "Truth" .cannot /very well, m view .of pending, litigation; say one word; good, bad or indifferent con- .' cerning this chap's character. No doubt at the hearing of the slander suit it will be thoroughly investigatr cd. and as Bell, , K.C., will be against him. Gisfoorneites are anxiously awaiting, .developments; This j •' much can be said, though, Burke of recent months has struck a heap of trouble." 'It started first of all! through a biffing, match on pub premises,' where one Hardie, a bushwhacker, got a hell of a hiding. Burke, was 1 PROSECUTRD FOR ASSAULT. " Summonses and cross-summonses were served,, an*d Burke came- out on : top. It is here that the barmaids Rome into existence as far as this paper is concerned. Burke swore at the Hardie' Case that he' had dismissed two barmaids, whereas' it apn ears he dismissed ..Only ohfr^-ltta Dunlpp— pnd'tiie other, Watson, who was sick of the business, chucked the game. Both gave; evidence for Hardie against Burke, though they were re>luctant to do so. .Next the pei\\ury proceedings cropped, up, where another character m the shape of Detective lifaddern. is. introduced. .Burke v r as committed for trial for perjury, and.Madderri handled the prosecution; And now it looks as if Maddern mieht ■ have been wiser had .he refused his r. duty . .therey /Anyhow. '.after Biirke's committal .for trial, or it might havn been before, he. (Burke) got hold of a pho.to of. Sadje Watson and. scribbled and scrawled thereon something held to-be indecent concerning her career ■■ Jn_ Sydney, and, moreover, he is alleged to- havp attached : A DISGUSTING POST-CARD ' to We' portrait and nialinsed her character -generally. All these mat; ' 1 ers have; formed the basis for a suit ;of slander ■against him,, the , '(faiftages r freing ,'iaid :i at £499." .The. other •Rirl.Dunlop,. does; not figure m this suit, " nevertheless, she makes 'some very hot 'accusations against ■Bung, who " is a married man with a- grown-up family, and should, she avers,' therefore know better and do better. As stated, the suit for slander, comes. on at the present sittings of the Supreme Court . before /Justice Chapman. There the matter must be decided, and Burke \yill there have a chance of proving his assertions against Watson, and likewise the opportunity will be presented the barmaid >of clearing her character of accusations- which are really too , numerous to, mention. . It was anticipated here that at the Supreme 'Court hearing of the charge of perjury against publican Burke that things would be 'very merry, but much to the chagrin of a ereat number of Gisborne scandal-mongers, the ' Grand Jury found no true bill a gainst" the accused, and he aScordinflv scored another win. In cnarsr-i me the Grand i Jury, the Judge said ! thpy would have to consider whether Burke intended to DELIBERATELY DECEIVE the Magistrate" by swearing as^ he did, and as no true bill' was found the conclusion evidently arrived at was that .there was no attempt to deceive. This now brings "Truth" •to the trouble which Detective Mad- • dern is up against. He is under suspension pending aii Inquiry : which is hems- conducted by Sub-Inspector. Dwver of Christchurch. Maddern, it. might be pointed out. acted on instructions m prosecuting Burke. Then it was that Burke, like a worm, turned. The women Watson and Dunlop- were branded as absolute no class rotters. Maddern was accused of consorting with women who are branded worse than nrostitues, ' arid publican' Burke is -at the bottom of it all. It is said, and it is not denied, that both young women went out driving with Maddern, and that "they'lived : af his house, which -is ' police property. Maddern is a widower with one grown-up daughter at least, and she lived part of the time at the house with her father and the barmaids. Other allegations naturally have followed, and the two women who are branded as prostitutes »Jr-ir' anvlhing wrong, and doubtless Mflddern before the m camera inquiry has likewise denied it. Burke, it is said, gave evidence the other even- • m? at the inquiry and got ( a bad .lime from Maddern. It is told to "Truth's" representative that though a lot of mii<l has neen thrown, mud which will sticky too, no one has voluut^red; information which would justify anybody m holding the women to be of " . IMMORAL CHARACTER. Be that as it .may, the fact of Maddern's suspension is known to all. The women are practically friendless m a strange town, and a few of Maddern's friends declare that he stuck to the. girls because they were blackballed by everybody, and that because he stuck to the girls he gave publican Burke a chance. Burke took the opportunity and has succeeded beyond his most sanguine hopes of cet-tinn-even on the demon who has bad 23 years of police service and whose record seems to be Unblemished. ■What the result of the inquiry will be

it is difficult to (forecast because there seems to be a split m the police camp, and that disgraceful system of pimping encouraged by Commissioner Dinnie is getting full play. The local Sergt. Williams is said to have absolved Maddern from any wi'ong doing, but a notorious sneak of a sergeant named Treanor, from Napier, arrived on the scene later, and seems to have gone right into ;the Burke camp and taken anything he heard on the Burke side for granted. '.'Truth' 1 isn't going to take sides,' it simply wishes to record facts, but it is admitted everywhere that Maddern was' indiscreet m taking ttie two young women to live m bis house with him. If Maddern can satisfactorily explain that away he will come out. on ,top. , Anyhow, Burke has . ■ STIRRED UP A STINK all right, and Gisborne smiles all the time and Wonders and waits expectantly- for later developments.. What; seems -more curious is the rather strange attitude of . Police-Inspector McDonnell of Napier. Muckdonnell; it is said, received information from Burke re Maddern and the two women and sent; Treanor along to , Gisborne to sneak and spy out the lav of things. ' Muck seems to have believed the worst and when the two women, who are fighting against big odds and endeavoring to show the world how patient and long suffering is virtue, saw the Inspector at Napier, his behaviour and language were Worse than torrid, ft Commissioner Dwinie is going "to have the whole matter thoroughly investigated; be might call up this Muckman tja explain, what he meant by assuring the barmaids that they were had women , because Burke said they were ; and, further,' he should be asked what m the name of a police inspector- does he mean, by quoting Byron and Burns to them. .It is hardly to, be wondered at that one of the women should ask him to quote her Tom Bracken's "Not Understood." McDonnell's behaviour is piggish, atfd v certainly not that of a crentleman. Indeed, the two grossly insulted wo-' men have been admonished by.. several Gisborne people for not having fallen on the old hog gnd ■ • ■. ; BASHED HIM WITH THEIR BROLLIES. Anyhow, "Truth," like, everybody m Gisborne, is. anxiously awaiting the hearing of the slander suit, because the evidence is likely -to be extremely interesting. Perhaps, too, after the hearing of the case,, this paper will be able to say quite . a number of other things, which just now is out of the question. -. The police un Gisborne seem to be anyhow just now. Cons table Irwin has- not resigned from the .forceapparently he is waiting to be kicked out. Then- Constable Pratt, a native bobby, is m. the wars. He is alleged to have punched an individual who was m tow- with some old tart". His interference ■ led to high words, and then, according to witnesses, Pratt plugged the man. This has not 'formed the subject of any inquiry, but people are talking loudly, and i what with Irwin, Maddern, Burke j and the barmaids they certainly have a great deal m the conversation line to kill dull care. ■ - x Later. '< In connection with the police enquiry it has been ascertained that evidence has been forthcoming that while "two women were liviug m Maddern's house they were visited by, men, and these ,were observed by police jailer Davey. who spied through a hole m a tin fence. Davey is local gaoler, and it is alleged .that some time ago he utilised the labor of prisoners •to erect a racing stable for his son at Victoria township, which is just outside . Gisborne. If this isso the police enquiry had better be re-opened and the conduct of practically overv^policeman m the .district should be examined. The police forcein Gisborne seems to be demoralised, arid the air is thick with all sorts of rumors. The Muckdonnell man of Napier is up against it. too. Recently he made some slanderous .statements regarding Lawyer Lusk and his clients' at Napier, the result being that a writ for £1500 DAMAGES will be issued against the Napier bounce. It looks as if he will have his hands full for some time to come. However, McDonnell's alleged slanderous statements will be dealt with at the proper time. Just now, "Truth" is concerned with the Gisborne police. Sub-Inspector Dwyer closed the enquiry on Wednesday, and is to make his report to headquarters. The general opinion prevails m Gisborne that Maddern will be dismissed.' Meanwhile the women, at the bpttom of the trouble are keeping quiet and arc m readiness to make publican Burke sit up or something. Gisborne police, -naturally, are awaitj ing events, and the ' Gisborne public, so far as the traps are concerned, don't care twopence, but they do about Publican Burke and the bar belles and accordingly await developments.