"FIRE AND FURY!"

Colonist, Volume XI, Issue 785, 6 December 1867, Page 9

"FIRE AND FURY!"

(From The Colonist, December 3.)

One would have imagined that an ex-detec-tive, whose house had been burned under circumstances so exceedingly suspicious as those connected with the fire-raising at the Masonic Hotel, would have had more discretion than to publish the letter bearing the signature." J. Trimble," which appeared in our contemporary on Saturday morning. Some people, labor under the. idea that a detective strives to discover crime .from- philanthropic motives', coupled, of course, with a desire to earn his wages. Mr. Trimble haa had experience in the detective

force of Otago. It is natural to suppose that a true detective carries with him something ot the spirit of the corps to which he belonged; and that, therefore, he would be disposed to aid the authorities and all who strive to assist them, in. the difficult investigations for the discovery of unquestionable crime, particularly such a crime as that to which more especial reference has lately been made. Mr. Trimble; however, when he and the Otago force parted, seems to have left detective traditions behind him, and appears rather disposed to stand in the way of that enquiry, and to distort and misrepresent those circumstances which thesounddetective would follow up with the keen scent ofajudicial greyhound. And he not only does this, but he is so unwise as to threaten those who in the exercise of a public duty—disagreeable, it may be, but imperative—have frankly set forth the prominent facts of a public investigation, and as frankly and fairly commented thereon, and drawn obvious conclusions therefrom.

But first, of the letter bearing Mr. Trimble's name, above referred to. Like Mrs. Wilson's evidence, this letter, which wie reprint in another column, is replete with untruths. Mrs. Wilson was never " bullied" by any one of the Jury, who, as well as the Coroner, both on the first and second day of the enquiry, exhibited a patience and forbearance which appeared to be thrown away, as its only effect was to make Mrs. Wilson more insolent and more untruthful; and Mr. Trimble simply follows in her footsteps when he insolently and untruthfully asserts that a single harsh expression was used to any of the witnesses by any one of the Jury.

This model ex-detective, with more daring than judgment, in the teeth of the evidence, mendaciously affirms that the servant-girl Fox "asked" leave of Mrs. Wilson to go home with her sister; the fact, as repeatedlysworn to by the girl on both days of the inquest, being that, some fifteen minutes before the fire broke out, Mrs. Wilson went to the girl and told her to go home, the girl herself distinctly stating, to repealed questions, that neither she nor her sister asked leave from Mrs. Wilson. This was made perfectly evident to the Jury. We did not mention, but we do now, the palpable falsehood of Mrs. Wilson, in stating that, after the alarm was given, she ran out of the hotel, and made her way home to Brookstreet, half-an-hour's distance, which she said she reached almost " before the fire broke through the roof;" while there is indubitable evidence that she was seen repeatedly in the street soon after the fire began. The contradiction in Mr. Trimble's letter, respecting the evidence of the witness Cate (who saw Mrs., Wilson on the tramway, gazing up at the roof) is comical, as showing a man proving too much: First, striving to overturn Cate's evidence, he quotes from Taylor, the barmao, to the effect that "Mrs. Wilsou did not leave her room until called by him after the alarm of fire," (a statement never made in evidence); and then, in order to account for the fact of her being seen on the tramway, says he can bring witnesses to prove that "it was a practice of Mrs. Wilson's to walk up and down the footpath, both before and after dark!"-- This is a sad specimen of an exaetective, like his great prototype Dogberry, " writing himself down an ass." And so we leave Mr. Trimble's letter for the present.

But we have something else to say to this champion of false witnesses, and we say it | to all who may endeavor to follow his example, and attempt to intimidate or threaten anyone connected with this journal. And what we have to say is this, that, while we are ever desirous to correct error, or re« move an injustice done to any person by reason of such error,—which will occur with the most careful—it will be utterly fruitless for any man to threaten us for a just opinion expressed in a fair comment upon a public fact, or on any occurrence on which the welfare of the community and a sense of duty demand tljat such opinion, shall be fearlessly expressed. Mr. Trimble thought proper to call at the office of this paper last Friday morning, and, in the absence of the j editor, to make use of threatening language implying a, determination either to obtain legal redress, or to use personal violence against the said editor! To prevent repetition of such foolery, and as a warning to Mr. Trimble,, we may as well narrate the substance of what passed, as set down on paper by two persons who were present. After settling his account (whicV we should be glad if all our friends would do with similar promptitude), Mr. Trimble waxed considerably wroth, and, referring to the article on the late fire which appeared in our Friday's issue,—said he should see -what could be done in obtaining redress for the editor's treatment of Mra. "Wilson. If he could not make out a case himself, he, shotild get Maguire to do it; and if Maguire had not mouey, he (Trimble) would supply him with it; and that, if that would not do, there were1 two ways of getting satisfaction out of fie editor, and if he did not get it one way, he should have it another. Threats of this kind will not disturb our repose; but we give Mr. i'rimble the benefit of seeing his threats recorded in plain-speaking type, in order that he may understand how much he is compromising himself, and how little honest men care for such rhodotnoutade.

There are one or two little questions we would ask of Mr. Trimble. First: What bond of union exists between him and : Maguire, that he should find money for such a person ? Secondly :. Has he been in the habit of finding money for Maguire, who did not himself pay his own board at the hotel; and if so, for what ? Thirdly: Does Mr. Trimble forget that this Maguire's evidence, as given before the Coroner, while false as regards some points respecting himself, was directed so as to implicate Mr. Trimble's mother-in-law, Mrs. Wilson? And, lastly: This being the case, why should he be so liberal with this man ? We shall willingly afford space to Mr. Trimble to reply to these'questions ; and at the same time we should be glad, and so would the public, to* receive the assistance of Mr. TriiuoWs experience as a detective ia traciag out ft probable motive for the

crime of wilful fire-raising, as the Coroner's Jury found it to be.

.■ Since the foregoing was in print we learn that Trimble has so far forgotten himself as, yesterday, at the wharf, to volunteer the information to one of the publisher* of this journal, that he would, although it were for twelvemonths, watch an opportunity, 1 when there was no witness, of committing |an assault on the editor of The Colonist] We do not choose toset down the villainous , slang in which this intimation was made in the hearing of two persons; but we would advise ibis fellow to think twice before he acts once on his threat. It may be very easy for any cowardly scoundrel to waylay a man whose avocations frequently necessitate his going home from business at an early hour in the morning; but if ex-detective Trimble —who now shows how ill-fitted he was for the preservation of the law—attempts any such course as he threatens, all we say is, he shall live to repent it. It were absurd to ask him to be bound over to keep the peace, because we do not believe he is such a fool as to attempt to carry out his contemptible threat which we utterly disregard. We here recollect that there is one little ciruumstancein connection with this fire which is unexplained, and which it would be well if it were cleared up; and probably Mr. Trimble is best fitted to solve the mystery. The Westport Times of the 14th ult., reported being " indebted to Captain Turner, of the Woodpecker, and to Mr. Trimble," for information respecting the fire, telegrams having been received from Nelson, at Wellington before the Woodpecker left the latter port for Westport. In that paragraph the Times says :— '• We regret to state that tho igh the majority of the buildings were insured, Mr. Trimble's was not, he having neglected to renew his policy, which only expired last month. We understand that £900 will not cover his loss,"

No telegram to Wellington stated that Mr. Trimble.was not insured. Who gave to the Westport Times this informal-ion touching the apocryphal expiry of his policy? It could not be Captain Turner. Was it Mr. Trimble to whom the editor was " indebted" for this intelligence? If so, what ivas the motive? Instead of vowing twelvemonths' impotent vengeance; will Mr. Trimble, for the sake of that Justice of which he once professed to be a disciple and an agent, give categorical replies to the few questions which appear in this article?