HARD TIMES AND A HARD CREED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 99, 7 September 1868, Page 3

HARD TIMES AND A HARD CREED.

An olil man drowned lr'mself lattly in the Thames. At the inquest it was stated that the deceased " was formerly a soldier, and had served with the 109 th Regiment in India. "Having palpitation of the heart, he \yslb discharged after between six and seven years' service, with a pension of 7d a day for 18 months, and when that time elapsed, he petitioned unsuccessfully to have his pension continued. He was not ahle to do much work, bit the dock people near Deptford gave him light work. This failing, the deceased desparingly declared he would not be a burden upon any one, and left his lodgings a fortnight before his body was found. The place where the dead man had lodged was searched, and there was found this paper, headed, "My De.ith Confession : — I entered the dockyard thinking that would end my life. My pension would not be renewed after serving six years and seven months in her Majesty's \o9th, and discharged wi.h 7d a duy for a short time of 18 months ; and after it was up I applied again and was heartlessly refused. So, what can Ido ? To apply to the workhouse, I should do work or be turned out, or be brought before a magistrate and get three months ; so I made way with myself in the [name of river left blank] in consequence. My friends know nothing of this before they hear of it. It is a resolution of my own, as I hare been discharged from the dockyard. I want no man to alter this, for it is from my own hand. What need has a poor man to h>e to steal and get put into prison for it? No, I would not do it. The rich can walk about and don't know what to spend their money on, they have so much, where the poor has not a penny to lay aside. If a poor man ask a rich one for a few coppers, the gentleman calla a policeman and gives him in charge. At the same time the gentleman might have £60 or thereabout on him. It is no use speaking to me about the Bible, for I don't believe in it. There is a God, but he is too good to do anyone harm. He might be in the clouds, and I say it is a good way to frighten the money out of people's pockets. Why don't the rich stick up to it better if this is true? No, they do not believe in it, but pay men to preach to the poor to frighten them from stealing from the rich. Also in telling lies and other things, and also making them go to church every Sunday, after being hard at work all the week. Why not make the rich go three times a week, as they have nothing to do? No. it is only the poor man they want to look after to stop him from stealing from the rich. I mean to make away with myself. It will be only a short time before my time cornea, but to wait till then would be great sufferance; so I might a 8 well be dead at once, for I will then rot into dust. When healthy men cannot get work, I cannot expect it, so farewell to this starving world, where there are more rats than cats, and rats eat up the food."