MR. G. E. BARTON, M.H.R. IN GAOL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 751, 27 February 1878, Page 3

MR. G. E. BARTON, M.H.R. IN GAOL.

On the 20th inst., Mr Barton was " interviewed " by one of the " Evening Post reporters. Mr Barton (says the "Post") looked remarkably hale, and even jolly, and our representative, after divesting himself of his dripping wwaterr r proof, walked with him into a cell to the right of the entrance, on the door of which was the word "debtors." Inside were two deal forms, a chair with a cushion on the seat, a deal table, and a desk, with Mr Barton's portmanteau in one corner, and a shelf, on which were a few books and cigars, above. With hearty hospitality Mr Barton handed the solitary chair to our representative, and then, diving into the corner behind the portmanteau, he came up with another cushion, which he carefully balanced on one of the narrow forms, and then sat down upon it. Preliminaries being thus arranged, and the object of our representative's visit stated, Mr Barton, at the request of our representative, detailed his .experience in gaol. Reporter : You look very well. It seems to agree with you. Mr Barton : Of course I look well, but it dosn't agree with me for all that, and when I get out I'll let people know it too. I'm the sort of fellow who makes the best of everything. The most disagreeable j part of the whole concern is sending debtors up here^ When I came in I found a man laid up by rheumatic gout, so bad that he could not do anything for himself, and I had to do everything for him. I have another thing to talk about and I believe Mr Baker did it purposely. One Saturday night, after wo had been locked -up, a little man literally covered from head to foot with grease and oil from the engine shaft of a screw-steamer, was bundled into the room. He was blind in one eye, and at first I thought he was quite drunk. It turned out that he was nearly made tipsy- by the spirits given to him to revive him from an accident. The engine-shaft — I think he said it weighed six hundred weight — fell on him. Now, he's an example of arbitrary law. He owed 7s to his wood merchant, but he had been ill for some time and could not work. The costs ran up the LI 15s and 3d. When the baliff arrested him he had L 2 in his pocket, and he offered to pay if the bailiff would go home with him and give him a receipt, but he wouldn't. He was brought up here in the filthy state he was in. He then gave the bailiff the L 2 to take to his wife, so that she might get him out the first thing on Monday morning. His imprisonment was for seven days, or at the rate of Is per day. It was a sin and a shame of Crawford to do it. On Sunday his wife discovered where he was, and in great distress of mind she came up to see him. The bailiff had never been near her with the L 2, so, in order that the poor fellow might not lose his situation, I gave her a cheque for the amount, and he was released next morning. Here's my cheque-book with the names in, and I waut you to print them. The prisoner'o name was John Deborde, and he was imprisoned at the suit of Richard Burgoyne, wood merchant. Burgoyne has a judgment out against himself at the suit of — What's-his-name, the big contractor — Brogden, I mean. You can get the amount of that from Mr Baker if you like. Now, I believe the money for the arrest was paid in by Burgoyne some days before Deborde was taken up. They won't tell my friends at the Resident Magistrate's Court Office, but I believe it was so. My theory is that Baker had him arrested in that filthy state to rout me out. Reporter (surprised) : How 1 Mr Barton : Why, by making me so disgusted that I would apologise, or do any mortal thing to get out. But they might have filled the whole cell with grease or muck of any kind they liked, and they would not have got rid of me. I'd not go out till the gaoler throws open the door, and says, " Mi Barton, you're a free man." [At thi3 point Mrs Barton, in a thick Ulster, and with the water running off it in streams, entered the cell. Her arms were full of baskets and packages. Our reporter was about to retire, but Mr Barton stopped him, and, after easing Mrs Barton.of her burdens, resumed his seat. Mrs Barton siid she would stand, as the water would run off her clothes better than if she sat. The gaoler brought in some wood, and soon kindled a roaring fire.] Reporter : When do you get out ? Mr Barton : That's just what I want to know Mrs Barton : We have made inquiries everywhere, and nobody seems to know. They say you must inquire from the judges. Mr Bartoi : I'll ask nobody. The gaoler says it's nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, though how he makes that out, I can't tell. Reporter: I suppose you know that some of your working-men friends proposed to get up a large demonstration in your favor, and march in a body to the Minister of Justice ? Mr Barton : Yes, I heard of it, but I threw cold water on it at once. Besides, I doul't if Mr Sheehan could release me. It would have to be done by the Governor, aud I don't want to be under an obligation to him any more than any other man. I won't 'go out on any order. Reporter : Did you expect to win the election 1 Mr Barton : Yes.; I was sure of it till Mr Hutchison came forward, and then I doubted, as he would split the democratic vote, but would not take any from Mr Pearce. I saw the crowd from the window, but the gaoler would not let me address them .

School Board Teacher — " I've called round to hear why you have not been to , school lately, Bridget Malone. " B. M. — " Sorra a bit o' good me coming to school, me lady, when it's three tunes this week I've looked in at the door, and bedad but every empty seat in the room was full. " A remarkable specimen of engraving reached Sydney by the last Cnlifornian steamer. It is the Lord s Prayer engraved with a diamond in glass, and covering a space of not more than 1000 th part of a square inch. In one of the comic papers published at St. Petersburg, there is a series of pictures entitled " Doctoring the sick man," and representing a Turkish Agvwho, having killed and eaten a Bulgarian slave, acquires such rotundity that he cannot leave his bed. A British sailor is the first doctor called in, and after him an Austrian mendicant, but their prescriptions do not seem to help the patisnt. Then in stalks a big Muscovite, who recommends a change of air~a trip to Asia, and in the last picture the Turk is reduced to his normal proportion. In the caricatures which, are aold in the streets of Moscow Great Britain ia generally pouvtrayed as a dandified yachts-man, with red mutton-chop whiskers, and long foppish-looking no&c»