ABOUT TOWN

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 12, 4 December 1880, Page 97

ABOUT TOWN

With to-day's issue the Observer reaches its tw'elvtli number, and closes an initial quarter. 1 On the whole both retrospect and outlook are most satisfactory. Inside an nnprecedehtedly short period the paper has achieved a circulation of which even a thriving daily,. might be proud, and taken a leading position amongst colonini weeklies. It is in pomt 1 of fact a hit — a palpable hit — and even those who like vs 1 least find themselves obliged to recognise the fact. Of course there have (been mistakes,- some of them rather serious ones. ' It would be odd indeed if there had not. Striking* oui an entirely new line in colonial journalism, , 6rie was scarcely likely to drop on the right path instanter. I hope, however, that as tune progresses our errors will become fewer arid fewer, and that those whom the paper has in its "^premier jeuuesse "unwittingly offended will charitably forgive the blunder. And now for the future, r* ext week the Observer will, for the first time, be printed with the new type just received from England, and permanently . jenlarged to 48 columns. Several novel features are to be introduced, and two fresh contributors ..-will make their bows before the public. Being the commencement of a new quarter, it is a good time for country folks to begin taking the paper regularly, and I shall be obliged if subscribers will remind their friends of this fact.

During the past week people have talked of little else save the appalling murder of poor Miss Dobie Seldom, if ever, has an outrage of the kind created such a profound sensation. When the news first came, strong men turned faint and white, and expressions of pain and ' sorrow were on every lip. A bout three in the afternoon I met a gentleman, who knew 1 the v lady well, hurrying home. He was so much upset as to be quite unable to converse, and stayed in the house ill for two days afterwards.

Miss Dohie was a very clever girl, intellectual, v highly educated; artistic, and above all unconventional. Anything that a woman might do, she did, and did we] I. Those who saw her as Lydia Languish, in the Choral Hall theatricals, will remember with what thoroughness and energy she threw herself into the part. It is of women like her the heroines of history are made. Fear had no place in her composition, in fact the poor girl was daring and courageous to a fault.

Miss Dobie must have made a hard fight for life. She was nuusually strong and active for a woman, moreover, I hear that on all sketching expeditions she carried a large sheath knife, hanging to her girdle, for the purpose of cutting away bush and fern, &c. This would make her a difficult antagonist even for a powerful Maori to vanquish, and accounts for the traces of violent struggling.

Sometime ago — never mind the exact date—! two professional sharpers arrived in Auckland from America. They were magnificently got up, brought plenty of luggage with them, ptit up at the best clubs, and spent money hke water. - C-n arriving at Hotel, the elder ol the two, who called himself Count Polenski, Eroduced a box of valuable jewellery, and anded it over to the landlord.- .This,, of course, had the effect of reassuring that worthy at once. He knew, or thought he knew, that his bill was! safe, and whatever the two swells wanted they had. For some weeks all went' well.. The Count met. several unmitigated flats, who bled freely, arid his companion "rung the changes" at the leading pubs with considerable success. This dodge of •'ringing the changes" was managed as follows. The Count would march up to the bar of an hotel and demand two drinks, throwing down a five or ten pound note in payment. The Hebe, of course, said, "Oh! haven't you anything smaller." Whereupon the Count taking thjs note up again, would affect to feel in his pockets for ,a small coin. After a fruitless search, the note all crumpled would again be thrown down, and the barmaid sweeping it into the drawer, give the full change. Later on, of course, the tin- 1 fortunate Hebe discovered that the note passed upon her was a ONE, and not a five or ten. Sq skilfully could the Count perform this trick that even the sharpest were deceived. One night the confederates did it at no less than four houses, making £25 in as many minutes.

■ Money, however, slipped through the rascals' fingers like water, and at lenglli they found themselves regularly hard up. Something had to be done, so an advertisement was inserted in the daily papers, oifering £12 for the loan of £100 for a month. The security was stated to; be unimpeachable and replies had to be directed to A. 13., care of one of the most respectable commission agents in town. Of course the applications to know what the security was, &c. : were very numerous, in fact, quite a host of people wanted to bo in the good thing. After carefully reviewing all the answers, the Count and his friend selected a storekeeper in one of the suburbs as their victim, and laid careful plans accordingly. : One afternoon, the best turn-out in town was hired, and the Count, goiv geously costumed and enveloped in valuable fur rugs, drove out to see: the would-be lender* He found him, as he had -anticipated, a simple unassuming man, whom it was not difficult to overwhelm with his aristocratic manners and blood-royal condescension, a fter some preliminary talk, the victim got into the carriage and allowed himself to be driven back to the Hotel; Here- he was introduced into a room, littered with pictures, jewellery, and all sorts of valuable bric-a-brac, specially hired for the occasion. The Count then bqgan a most plausible yarn. He (Polenski) was an Italian nobleman, travelling in New Zealand — partly for the sake of his health, and partly for the sake of making sketches of the scenery. Owing to an awkward series of misadventures, letters of credit, which ought to have met him, had not arrived, and he and his friend found themselves most inconveniently situated for want of a little ready money. It was only a matter of a week or two at most, Avhile for security Mr. could have anything (pointiug to pictures, jewellery, bric-a-brac, &c.) Whilst the poor victim Avas vacillating the dinner bell rang, and the Count, hurrying him down stairs, plied him with champagne for the next two hours. About nine p.m the cheque was signed and the victim went blithely home, taking, with him a promissory note, and a lot of documents, supposed to represent valuable property. I don't suppose I need quote the upshot. „ Before the bill came due, the "sharpers" were oft' again to America, and their victim never saw one penny of his hundred pounds. .

Before leaving the colony, these same rascals got in with a young fool doing the ' 'grand tour,," who was persuaded to give them a draft on his father .for .&10QO. The police warned him

against the two men, and told him they were "sharpers," but so thoroughly had they de-i ceived the lad, that he refused tobelieve.it, and, went straight to the Count nnd: told, him of, the! detective's visit. This pigheaded youth, besides, giving the aforesaid draft, absolutely stayed ->al month in Auckland in order -to travel by. thej same steamer as the Count to 'Frisco.