THE ROAD TO RUIN.

Observer, Volume 4, Issue 88, 20 May 1882, Page 152

THE ROAD TO RUIN.

FROM j£l o,ooo TO PRISON

It is astonishing liow rapidly youths, whose ',- abundance of cash enables them to indulge freely in dissipation", descend the road to ruin in the U-. , colonies. Month after month, we hear of some * ! fast young fellow being " nipped," by the sharpers £^tsio are alwayß on the lookout for prey. Few of I these victims are Colonial youths. The latter, as a rule,- can sow their wild oats and take care of ' their spare cash at one and the same time. The ■ , mojority are young scions of British aristocracy — younger sons, in fact, packed off to the colonies ; ■with a few thousands in their pockets, in the fond and delusive' hope that they will make their fortunes at sheep 'farming or, something of the kind -which they seldom attempt. Freed from the restraints which society imposes in the Old Country, they find congenial friends in colonial towns who are always willing to assist in reducing the little pile, and generally find a way of getting some of it into their own pockets. There are abundant means of getting rid of money in the colonies, and extravagant and riotous living can be indulged in here just as well as at Home. notwithstanding the absence of such- institutions as Carlo Monte, and other places for high play and fast life. A case in point has caused some excitement in i' polite circles in Auckland during the last fortnight. A short time ago, there arrived in the Colony a young man named Fleetwood, well-con-nected in England and known to have a great deal of money in his possession with which he intended commencing farming business. Possessing letters of introduction, he was received into good society and his favourable reception was not lessened by the knowledge that he had within a small amount of ten thousand pounds deposited to his credit in the Bank of New Zealand. He followed up his good ' intentions so far , that he purchased an estate up-country — at Mongonui, we believe — and proceeded there to settle upon it. He was popular in the district and welcomed by the neighbouring Bettlers generally who were pleased with his gentlemanly ,and affable bearing. It is said that he was paying his addresses to a young lady resident in the district. "Unfortunately for himself, he came to town, with the object of stocking his farm. Scarcely' appearing to know the value of his , money, he spent large sums extravagantly and ■ rather foolishly. One of his investments was the | 'purchase of the blood mare Knottingley from the Auckland Stud Company for one hundred and ' twenty guineas, while another mare was bought from a private gentleman for. nearly £50. These J tfrere subsequently sacrificed at great loss, the J , former bringing about twenty and the latter less . than ten pounds. Falling in with some unscru- j pulous individuals he lost large sums by betting and card-playing, while liberal loans are said to have been made by him to pretending friends without even a note of hand being taken. His purse was ready for the assistance of everyone who was able to impose on his good nature, i Within a very short time his fortune of over £9000 was gone, and he was penniless. , Seeking the assistance of acquaintances,]^ borrowed several small amountß on the expectation of receiving a remittance from Home, , haying previously , realized on his property to satisfy the claims of ] creditors. The expected remittance did not arA . rive, the friends who had once clustered' round f|| Mm like flies round a pot of treacle, gave him the cold shoulder and when matters were at a remarkably low ebb, he was "run in " on! &' charger of obtaining money under false pretences* Of , course, -he could not prove that he had pa'shr to meet the loans he had negotiated, although had the creditors waited, his friends would have paid treble the amount of debt soooner than be disgraced, and he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labour. The whole circumstances are in the highest degree disgraceful to those who reaped the harvest by such unscru- • pulous means, and it is a great pity the law' will not reach them, and deal out well-merited punishment. We have taken the liberty of publishing, facts regarding Fleetwood's career which are of a | ' , private nature. Our remarks are not dictated from any spirit of hostility but rather of sympathy with him, v and with the object of " showing up " the pitfalls which beset the paths of wealthy youths in the Colony, and more particularly to expose the " sharping " and " fleecing " that is carried on under the eyes of the law; Our informant supplied us with names of those who Had practiced this contemptible " blood-sucking." and the houses where it is said to have occurred, and our only regret is that the law of libel in its present shape does not allow us to prove the Talue' of a society paper by exposing the " traps " by which so. many otherwise promising youths are lured to moral and financial destruction. So long as the law prevents the Press from exposing such atrocious villanies, so long will unsuspecting victims be permitted to lose nearly £1000 in one night at cards, and brazen women, under the cover of- legitimate trade, be afforded opportunities of enriching themselves from youthful extravagance.