A Wellington Sensation.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11713, 15 August 1902, Page 7

A Wellington Sensation.

A THREAT TO KILL SIR JOSEPH

WARD

ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT.

Per Press Association,

WELLINGTON, August 14.

F. T. Moore, who* was recently appointed by tlie Government to inquire into the frozen mtat industry, and whose services have since been dispensed with, was before the Magistrate's* Court this morning on a charge of writing a letter to Sir Joseph Ward threatening to kill, or do grievous bodily harm, lie pleaded guilty and was remanded to the Supreme Court for sentence. Later. A letter from Moore to Sir Joseph Ward said that if the writer removed Sir Joseph Ward as McKinley was. removed, he believed it would be rendering a service to New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward, he •said, was at the head of the monopolies which he (Moore) was fighting, and stopped his (Ward's) progress.

"Why," continued the letter "should I let you stop me when a bullet or a dagger will put you out of the way? I ami willing to sacrifice my life for the good of my cause as Anarciusts do."

Then follows a reference to the work he has been engaged on, -and the letter concludes as follows : "You are treating me foully. I shall deal foully with you. As you are warned you cannot regard me as cowardly."

The letter was signed, and no secrecy was made about the delivery.

In the Court, Moore pleaded guilty, and said he wrote the letter under a sense of irritation and with the intention of doing what he threatened.

He realised hoAV foolish he had been

(Special to "Hawke's Bay Herald.")

WELLINGTON, Wednesday,. This afternoon, shortly after 2 o'clock, Police Commissioner Tunbridg'e and a (private detective were seen hurriedly rushing through one of the rooms in Parliament House, and a little later Mr. F. T. Moore was arrested in the public gaJiLeiy and taken into custody for threatening the life of Sir Joseph Ward, the Acting-Premier, some few days ago. A copy of a letter addressed io Messrs. Pirani, Atkinson, and Monk, M.H.R.'s, was sent up "to the Press Gallery. It was dated "152 Tinakori road, 5 August, 1902." It was marked "Copy for Press. Gallery Reporters." It referred to the cowardly personal attacks "that had been made upon Mr. Moore in the House last week as only equalled by the traitorous tactics" of a certain meat expert company. These "cowardly rogues," the writers added, were afraid that he would expose the rascality of which they had been guilty. viz., of defrauding tJie farmers of the vailue of their stock. He expressed surprise that certain members "should champion such infamy, and become their tools in. -Parliament." "Unless," he added, "you are lastor dead' to all sense of honour and justice you will challenge the charges made in this letter." He concluded by calling upon the members to do their duty and stop the audacious robbery of fanners by the North Island meat monopoly, and signed himself: "F. T. Moore, ex-manager Wellington Meat 'Export Company's works." This was tiie position formerly occupied ,by Mr. Moore. He was also known in Wellington as a faitih-healer and the 'author of a remarkable pamphlet for which he claimed Divine inspiration. "Subsequently he was appointed \w the Government to report upion the meat freezing works of the colony, but it is understood that recently this appointment was terminated. Within the last few days* !he Shas written letters to Sir Joseph Ward pointing out > the fate of President McKinley, of the United States, and hinting that Sir Joseph Ward ought to have a bullet put through him or a dagger "nut into him. These threatening (letters kfd to Moore's arrest this afternoon. The arrest was kept very quiet, but gradually the news leaked out, and to-night the presence of a detective and the Stipendiaay Magistrate, Mr. Haseldeu,, in the lobbied, led me to make inquiries, with tlie above result.