THE McCARTHY CASE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13635, 1 July 1908, Page 6

THE McCARTHY CASE.

BEFORE TBX CHARITABLE AID ' - BOARD-

JSTATEMOT Bl' THE MAYOR. At yesterday's meeting of the Charitable An! Board, tlia cbairnian meut.oned the case of the bund man McCarthy, .at having Made a considerable stir lu lue_ district. He knew nothing of it huneelf except what he had seen in. the papers, ana in a statement prepaivU by the secretary, which would be read. He hoped that nothing moie would be ■aid than was necessary.. - Mr Craigie said ho would be glad to be given an. opportunity to make a aatea»W on.the subject. The repe.iuni - could-take a note of what he i-aid and theßoard would deckle whether it sin old be published or not. He wished to nuke a> statement for two reabons. first, Lccmmm a member of this Board it »a> bis duty to see that the inlet"**-of the Board were protected, .-.ad biroud, became it was his duty-to «se \ix*\, an\ blind or destitute person did not si'fftr for. want of relief. He ra proud of the way the public of both South t\iutirbury and Christchurcb had epoutaueonsly cw. tributed when the case was. nut Ivlore them, as a case of destitution. He thought it really splendid. At, M.<yoi of Tnnara and as one identified with the case to a certain extent; lie thought a statement ehould be made public in view ef'certain developments of the case, and the raising of the question of it? genuineness. . "This man," said Mr Craigie, "came to- my place of business, led by a little boy, about, the middle or March last. . He bad a paper beaded jar a aabscription list—made out by ist Brothers, I understood, and tbejpKnl him. to me. He told me been a long time- in Timaru, that 6t»iW a cabinet-maker, and that he h*t his< eyesight by some accident, by running against a door,' with a child's-.bath or something, and knocked his spectacle* into hie eyes , and became ' blind. 1 thought it strange that I had never heard of each a man or of such an' accident. I told him to come to the Board;' and he said he did not want charitable, aid"; he. wanted to get money to boy a- cornet. Be'said be was an old bandanan, and that he could play tunes', and that if he had a cornet he could make-a living by playing at street corners r and elsewin.iv. I thought the man was ..showing a Very good spirit, and I beaded (be Ifet." Be told me he had three children -depending upon him. I took him roundTfo Mr Russell, ,and he > told the to him* Mir Russell, out of his Own pocket, aJto made him a donation, end lie went away well pleased with the bet.- When the man went away I told MrKuineil (hat if he wanted any help, he was- to help him temporarily; -astiL the caoe came before the Board.' 1 bsard no more about I hhn tOl 1 saw in the "Timaru Herald" about three weeks ago that a member of the Marine Band had met the man, and that he was in a very bad case indeed; and that they were getting up : a. concert for hhn. Next day I read in the **Post" that a Mr Blown, a worthy marj, a> lay preacher, bad made a statement that he had seen the family, that they were in a starving state and were burning their fornitare to keep warm, and that they: bad.had nothing to eat for two or three days. A summary of the ktatement in the '"Font" was sent* to the Christ church "Press," and' the "l'ms" opened a subscription list, and the "Post" opened one too. A day or two later 1 received a wire from Port Levy from aSir field, saying that- a Mr Fkming had read of the. heartrending case of the bimd man and.the starving children, and if it- was a genuine cite he had £lO ready if any subscription was being raised. . J went to .the "Pest" to find out all about McCarthy, and they t>aid they knew verylittle about him, except what Mr Brouu had told them. I baw Mr Brown, and he told me it was a really genuine case; that, the man had -Rally lost his sight hi limaru, and that he had.three children. 1 asked what /doctor had attended him tad Mr Brown said Dr Unwiu. 1 saw Dr Unwin and he said be. had heard of the case, from a women who came to him about a month before with.a child suffering from diseased bope. The, woman made a statement about.her .husband having lo*t_b»> sight, but it was a different statement from that

in the "Post." 1 then went to see the man himself, and I found him a man of very fine pbytaque, a really fine looking men.- I niade "him lift his'glasses, and be had''certainly leaf his really saddening sight—the sort «f sight to awaken sympathy and perhaps make the heart-run away with the head. I asked hhn whether he was -the man who. came to my place about a comet, and be said he was, and that he got the cornet, but he mixed up the tunes t*>~ much that he could not play it. I staked liim what house he wast living in when' he'lost his. eyas, and be said he was not Irving in a bouse but in a tent. I asked where

.was the tent, and he said it was "Away down there at >tho:headV . I- said, •' My good man,. we hare no heads in Timarn.' and he eaid ' Well, I call it the heads.' .1 eaid 'Yon ciwJd not knock your bead against * door in » tent, because a tent las .no-door.': arid- ibcn.lie- saidit . w«« not a. door, but a kerosene tin or a child's bath, or something..'.' I was beginning to lose faith in linn. J esked. him why lie did not go„ to * doctor, and he eaid :he had "no. money. Then lie -"'aid lie went to Dr. Fergwm and he took haj cy« out. Iscame./back .and saw; the ** Poat" r peoi»l«>" and.'said the man. was wndonbtedty blind'and .therefore was in a. «ony tUim,' but that hj« 'ought tell "'» plain straightforward atory of how,

when, and where lie lost his eyes. I wrote to the people whu hud been wri.ing to me, that the mail was really blind, but that- 1 wished he had told a belter s.ory. about it. 1 told Air -Russell to. go and bee them, and tell thtm that they tonld have any help they wanted. 1 advised Mr BubtrSll to nuiivO inquiries about the man, where be came. Hum, aud a.l about- linu, and Mr Rik-sc-11 wrote'lo.uther Llialltab.e Aid Boards, and also asked the po.iue- lor ocslutjjilc in hudiug out tlie lubtory or the man. '1 litre ».u only one child at the home; the oilier-two were staled to in wiui a pcit..»n at Alkrd idresl, and Mr Ruaseu wrofe to tiie~ and address', ilie man gave linn, and '>- li.id received word ihat the latter could not be delivered because there Wus uo one of the n.iine in the- district, aud that ihcru were no children boarded out tneic. That -k> all 1 .knew up to last night, and i told '•. Lite to the chairman on Saturday. My faith in the man was uliaken by his own statements, and the children not being where were said to' be. Yesterday Air Ucorge Raymond came to me, and said the buna man tauie.to hits house- on Sa.urday night aud lold him certain things, aud Living lhat: 1 was to make a statement to-uay, Mr Raymond thought it would t>j uell if 1 knew a- little uioie abouti it before making the . statement, and he. buggested that I should go wi-.h him to I lie blind 'man's home when he would- make -the-"statement' again, in niy' presence. • We-went together in a tun. 1 said I would not go into the i house: nnlcus the man said he would maKe a btaUuuub' before me.. The man "agreed to do 10, and I'went in. 1 asked him rt 'he 'n as a native of A'ew Zealand—he ' Bad ."said lie --was a native of Tarauaki —:. and he eaid '-No; I am an American, but : :i" : ; "eainefto; New Zealand when veiy I yonng.V said lie had btcn ba«k to 'i\tu*rica,. : 'and had been.a year in Aiib-j ljQ^J^ ; and i: had been in : New Zealand' T (According to the p<K was bora' in Ireland, and it is. doubtful' whether he was ever out of New. Zealand since he came here.) lie told iw^;tliat^he-was a married man, that be had' tbrw children, and that his wife had kft him. 'He told us that he hud bsen-cphvicl'ed .several tinns—lor ciueily U> animals, drunkenness, and obscene lan-gnag'e,-aud that the lant time, lor receivmg'stolen goods 'he ■ gqt eighteen niuiiilji, and;while in Mount Eden gaol a splinter of-''«teel 'wounded ;cme of bis cytii and H- had to be -'token: 'out, and by another 'accident there he .lost the ether eye. It appear* vtomaii with whom he ■is Jiving .is\not\lii»' wife, that *he . be(ongK to Auckland, and that she left lier huEband • and;, the-, children -there,, to conic ;with this man. ; : According to the police the man has a wife and one chUd in Auckland, and -they, are not maintained by him. lie child-that-is with them in Timaru is ;'n6t-jhis; :\ The .man's; parent** -are' Jiving in Napier.... /After' Ihe loss of his sight- they \tried to keep hiui there, but he was bo -wicked-that;tbey conld not keep him, and he had been living off the public, by making collections lor sraniaphones, corners,:and so forth. This case, he said, had got into the papers against liis wish.. His taction were to get help without having his name mentioned, as he wanted to hide from (lie .police, and from people- who knew him. .According to his statement to Mr Raymond in my presence he was supposed to make - a clean breast cf it, but the police report about him does not coincide with hk statement. . lie can tell.a very piausib.e story. It really sounded horrible, that this* blind man should hare a witc and children starving, and it is through thece repor s that the people have responded so nobly as they have done. But the subscribers should know the facts, and say what should bo done with the. money. 1 do not think the man should be kept, liere. He should be deported lo where he came from. lie has no one here legally dependent on him. His wife has kept bcibelf and child in Auckland. 1 think the ( - Board should get these people' i.-eiii buck to where they belong; " As for Hie money,' it was a very good thing to have such a proof that the springs of generosity werv hot dried up; and if the people liked to let the man have the money after knowing all the -facte, well and good. TJiere is another blind man at Oxford, -with five-*r six children, a really deterring man,' who had'not received so much sympathy; and there' are plenty of blind men'going about who get no sympathy, at all. I feel very much for the man in his distressed condition but 1 don't like the way he has been telling' a .pack of lies. ~ The chairman said the -uieinbeis' would regret very much that -inquiry 'into the man's 'circumstances had turned out as it had, and that the Mayor's taking -up the case as he did had .given a. slump of genuineness to it. Personally he had taken very -little notice of it - until he saw that it. was proposed to hand the money to the Board in order to get the Government subsidy on it. On that he asked Mr Russell to make some inquiry and Mr Russell reported that he was dissatisfied with .the man's story, and that be had asked thejxriice forassistance and lite police here said they did not know anything about the man, but if desired they would inquire eleswhere. He thought the newspapers had been hasty in accepting and publishing the reports about the case. Of course they meant, well, and he would not like to say anything derogatory of a sympathetic - feeling or action, but more care should have-been taken before making tho • reports -public. Some of the statements published wete in themselves suspicious; - that- for instance abonb '" ft lady'' giving: the: little-child 10s, which the child gave to the man after the lady had; gone, as :" a penny, • daddy." -Other statements were too far-fetched to be credited. Ho blamed-nobody, but the course taken had been tmfortnnate.

Mr Craigie: All I said was that the man was blind, and the woman and child were there. I felt tbafc it was a pitiful case, but' I did nothing to evoke sympatbr.' RETORT BY THE SECRETARY.

The secretary made the following report "On the circumstances of John McCarthy, 'ah applicant for Charitable Aid." This man, about thirty years of age, is blind, and waited on your secretary wiUi a subscription list on 18th March last, ostensibly for the purpose of procuring the sum of £8 to purchase a comet, with which instrument he professed himself able to earn a living. He declined to lake any aid from the Board on thef plea of

"pride." Some three weeks later he again called at the office, and asked if tbe Board would pay his rent. In answer to questions put to him by your secretaiy, he stated that he had a wife and three children living with him, and when questioned as to the ages, etc., of the children, seated that tvo of the youngsters were in tne meantime staying with a distant relative of his wife's, named ueorge Edwards, at Alford Forest. -He had lived in liniaru all hk life with the exception of three months when he recently went to Dunedin to be operated on by Dv Ferguson for his eyesight. oeruiin remarks and a " take-time-and-confider-youi>auswtr" manner about the man induced your secretary to ask the man to apply to the Board in person, and in the meantime he was preferred temporary assistance; but this was not taken advantage of .and no more was heard of him until certain articles appeared in a local paper, and various requests were made to your secretary to help the man. Obtaining no sauslaction from the man himself, exhaustive enquiries were set on foot, and itr now appears that McCarthy's present appearance in Timaru is- his first. was in Chritstchurch in February, October, 1907, and is well -known in other par s of - the Jf orth Island. The woman and child now, living with him are not/his- wife and son. fie has a wife and child living in Auckland, whom he deserted some years ago, after treating hia,wife with unusual cruelty.

Dr Ferguson and the Dunedin Hospital Trustees liave never giveu assistance* and do not know- the man.

The man known as George .Edwards does not exist, neither do the children as named by McCarthy- , McCarthy is, without doubt, an habitual drunkard, and since • his arrival in this town he has been the;financial member of a clique of rie^er^do-wells, -the means used by them to obtain their bceiy condition being previously a mystery to your secretaiy. (One man's .lanii.y receive charitable aid.) McCaf'hy hue a utun-i ber of schemes for raising the wind, the. most popular being subscription lists for cornets, special operations Ho this eyes, fees ' for admission 'to institutions, for t.heblind, etc.,. and then when the list is full, a .corobpree with, his-friends. McCarthy's record is a bad'one; there is at present a prohibition order in force against hint; taken. out in the, Auckland district. He has travelled undei- various aliases, age<j and.'family, ties... He has eight convictions against; huu, several of; these for serious offences. ■■ The last conviction, tarried with it a sentence of eighteen months, and it" waa during tue; currency of this sentence he, lost! bib eye-sight through a blasting accident.: Jsmoe he came out of gaol he has proved himself a perfect nuisance; wherever he has resided. His mother, who is alive, has long since refused'to ;have anything to do with 'hint. His afflicted state does not appear to have;-:flffeaied>.-his^.Moral'-vcmiiuti6ii > t '.'' as Fhu is :known to'.the'- Auckland police as, aii ; habitual: drunkard," and » comjjanioUT of ■thieves ;aiid,>pivustiuites.:./ ■ v.'. -::, J' ; " Your-, secretary:has taken the. necessary! steps to ideiitiiy-; the; man.feaudi alne. to subsiantiabe .these' statements.■. " -V

MrV MuUin remarked that.it''wap;.;«.■ pity, the public ; weie.vs6;Teady ' t& subscribe. Mr Craigie did not tliink ihat.vi!ifc was.' very' gratitying : V U» ? find thev public so;: prompt to «how a gentrous sympathy. The truestion- now was what. ;waa'to be ,donov with the subscriptions. . Mr GiUingham: The people should have; the option of having thtm refunded. The chapman did not see that the Board had anything to do with it. The case had uotcoiue before-.the .Jtoard..vv;;;.;:.. ; :;...:'.

Air Craigie said it did, ini»:way,by the; proposal to hand the money to the Board to get the In reply to Mr Gillingharu, Mr .Craigie said the man arranged 'to .come.i to the' Board two meetings', ago, but he did not come It could not be said that ibe< Board ji»j- ; neglected hiiri. . . ;£,-';.-/';.;'■•■; ,-■ Mr Uiilingbain: Then we have no, standiug at all, and Sir Craigio'e might just as.well have' been;:made};to. the; Borough Council. ■[* .;£;,<> '■ /■ ''.-i'r--_ The chairman/evidently "to .'drop' the subject, but he said before passingJon that io might V>e remarked that m future the Press' should look a;;ii|fle; citisaryn ouch cases before publishing; .themi>vf-\"'.:.'. ' The Board then took up other business, and no. more was said about the matter.

Our reporter met Mr Graigie alter the meeting, and asked what: was going to be done. Mr Craigie >aid he bad made hi? statement in the 'that;:' the Board would coine to sbme;.deasionj about.; the case,' but theybad, ; adopted^ that the case .was not ,before "[them, iuid therefore there, was no"naed.f6r theim to decide, anything';., The. man was certainly, art object of -pity in ; spite \6t his ;untrjuth- 1 fulness, and something ought- to be done lor him. But if the Board* bad io do anything; eventually, the ; proper : thing would be to. send him, back 'to- where u£ belonged! He had 'wished to keep the y?or man out of it, and did' not make a point of; it in bis statement; but could the pnbi lie sanction the present domestic, merits of these people He" thoughib thafc there would not have been a penny subr scribed if the truth about tbese arrange;inents had been known. Of course ithe people must be hclued if they needed hcl »,; but the mail's own conduct' was jesjppns-: ible for having his history; up.' It; was a puzzle to know'.what' to'do, but something ought to be "done"'to; liejp hirii; to live; a ; decent i lUc, and :as/;c6mfortable a .life a«s possibieVunder great' affliction;;.