"OLD SINBAD" AND THE REFUGE.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 1705, 5 August 1875, Page 2

"OLD SINBAD" AND THE REFUGE.

To the Editor of the Stab. Sir,—Considering- that the letter relative to McDonald which appeared in your paper of the 24th of last month has only now been replied to (and by two persons at the same time) it strikes one very forcibly tbat " Old i Sinbad" and " A Visitor" are acting in concert ; perhaps they are one and the same , individual. But, sir, let us enquire who "Old Sinbad" is, and what faith can be placed in what he says. la the Refuge, » short time ago, there used to be a troublesome individual who wrote untruthful letters to the press under the nom-de-plvme of "Old ~ Sinbad," but he has been dismissed for re- ; peated acts of insubordination culminating in striking the manager. He was also dis-,; missed on a former occasion for striking a \ feeble old man—so' feeble, that to mow about he is obliged.to use crutches. This "Old Sinbad" is fond of dubbing himselt "Captain," and claiming relationship witnemperors and prime ministers, and because, forsooth, the manager did not bow down to him, did not Captain him here and Captain him there, did not pamper him on other people's tea and sugar, but treated him impartially, he- betook himself to inciting_tiie other inmates to be insubordinate and to refuse to perform the work of the establishment. Under former management, too, this f man was prone to exhibitions of snobbishness which were quickly and very properly subdued. On first admission to the Refuge, a perfect Lazarus in appearance, he was asked to do some light job but he refused, | saying he was "a gentleman, and aia . not come there to work." The answer . was : " We do not want gentlemen here, and if you do not do your work you bad better; l leave." I do not know, sir, whether j, J would excite ridicule or contempt wer* ■'■■» , to relate some of this gentleman a c«JiL/ whilst an inmate. But I will not be toofl&ror on him. He ought not, however, to tails w M

unkindly of Mr. Graham. It was the manager and not Mr. Graham who dismissed McDonald and whose report was forwarded to you for perusal, and had McDonald been permanently turned out of the Eefuge he would have nobody to thank but "the Captain " for he was one of those foolish enough to be guided by a firebrand. Mr. Graham acted only as a friend to McDonald, as he did also on a late occasion to a certain gentlefflan who but for his kindly offices would in all likelihood at the present time be "barkiDg," not at the moon, but at a heap of stone in a certain institution where persons are usually sent who will not epeak the truth even when a Bible is placed in their hand.— I am etc., F. — [This must close the correspondence. Everyone has had. his say and our space is too valuable for vain repetitions. Ed. E. SO