A SAD STORY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2016, 21 June 1875, Page 2

A SAD STORY.

On Saturday morning last, a very sad case came before the presiding Justices of the City Police .Court. - Three little childrenwere brought up, charged with being neglected children, and their mother was called upon to explain how it was that they appeared in such a deplorable condition. Her name is Haley, and it appears that she is the wife of the notorious Cyrus Haley, at present,. an inmate of >Ihe Dunedin Gaol, who. was sent down here for safe custody from Auckland about three years ago. It may be remembered that Haley was • tried at the -. Supreme Court in Auckland, and for attempting to murder the Htfn. Thomas Russell, and., for, burning down , the, .Choral Hall, in the Northern city, he was sentenced to a., term of. penal servitude for life. Shortly lifter his .sentence his unfortunate wife and family left New Zealand for; London, in the ? ship Caduceus; the woman having relations in the Old Country, who, it was thought would make provision ,fpr' her and the children. But this does not appear to have been the case, -for she arrived at Port Chalmers in an immigrant ship a few months, ago, bringing- with her her family. The poor woman evidently loved her husband, with, all his faults—nay, crimes; and seems ;to have taken an early opportunity of coming) back, to.'New Zealand, in order to be near him. Since she has been here/ however, she has been going from bad to worse. She has neglected her home and her children, and the climax was reached on Saturday, when the latter were sent; to - the Indus* trial r School for a period of six years 1. Whether, since her arrival, she has been allowed to see her husband or not, we cannot say; but the case is a sad-one throughout. The writer knows the poor woman's history for many years past, and remembers her when.she held a good, if not.a first-class, position .in Auckland. He remembered distinctly the occasion when she sang as a lady amateur in' the presence of his Royal Highness the Duke 6f ; Edinburgh in the Choral Hall, which her husband afterwards burnt down, and for which he is now suffering. For a long time after his conviction ho was known and spoken of as the Auckland f fire-raiser." until the time of his.apprehension he was greatly respected; and occupied a position as one of Auckland's leading citizens. His arrest and' guilt threw our Northern neighbours into a state of absolute, amazement, and for months the extraordinary affair in which he was concerned formed the leading topic of conversation. Wfc sincerely trust that something will 1 bW^ done to arrest the downward career of his unfortunate wife, who is now at almost the lowest ebb in wretchedness, if not in vice, notwithstanding the respectable position .which she formally occupied. "A timely hand stretched out might yet save her from the lowest abyss, to which" she seems apparently doomed. Will not some of our benevolent ladies stretch out that hand, and save this poor woman from a fate, worse than death ?—Qtago Guardian.