Adventure and Vicissitude.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 86, 4 July 1871, Page 7

Adventure and Vicissitude.

Australians and New Zealanders, typoi grapher* particular]/, will remember the familiar s >und of the name of Corfitz Cron- . quist, a celebrity who commenced his cc~ , lonial career in Melbourne in the establish- . ment of another " character" now equally i celebrated with himself—the fickle and ■ once fortunate Mr Shaw, who by latest i accounts was in Honolulu. Cronquist's , volatile and buoyant temperament soon brought him to the surface, though not in , a way that redounded much to nis credit, and soon afterwards he made his way to Hobart Town. -Finding no scope in the , mechanical application of " type snatching" . for an exuberant intellect such as his, Corfitz determined to strike out another track and made his way to Sydney, where he was employed in the capacity of merchant's clerk, but mistaking his master's cash-box for his trousers' pocket, received two years as a reminder of his mistake. Aftev this he made his way to Hokitika, and in due time the appearance of " Professor Cronquist, Phrenologist," was announced. During the flourishing times of the West Coast diggings Corfitz did a roaring trade, but again his income was insufficient for his requirements, and after a short incarceration he made Christchurch his sphere of operations. Nothing could have been more opportune, for the redoubtable A. S. Hamilton, the phrenologist of world-wide fame, was preaching, in eloquent hypocrisy on the organs of "love, affection, patriotism, &e." The " affinerty of nature" was too strong to be subdued, and the two a<n-eein-' to share fortunes, a partnership was struck up. This lasted a very short time. Being admitted proficients in the not yet accepted I science which they practised, the recondite qualities of each were soon laid bare to the other, and their connection ended by i[amilton charging Cronquist with stealing j the cash-box containing £6O. Corfitz then j went to the up-country districts of Canteri bury as compaynon de voyage to a well- | known geological amateur—a Pickwick in j search of treasures—the object being the I collection of fossils from the petrifying water |in the neighborhood of the Hurunui. He then made his way to Dunedin, and was employed in the capacity of reader upon the Sun ; and having made love in a quarter where his overtures were not acceptable, he made a show of making away with himsilf, but Corfitz was too fond of clear life, and did himself no harm, though he had to appear at the Police Court. The next we: heard of him was his being sentenced to two years' impr sonment in iJunodin gaol for uttering a valuele s cheque at Tuapeka, but, after a short in :arcerafcion ; he was liberated on (In ruprese.itaciois of the chaplain of the gaol (Mr Torrance) late a brother "typo." Corfi z was then completely lost sight of, and the next we heav |of him was in the Fiji Islands, and of [his doings there we let the Times speik for itself:— A public meeting was held at a hotel, and a jury appoiucd to try the charge, when, after hearing the evide.ice and consulting, they arrived at the following verdict : —" We, being a jury of thirteen appointed at a public meeting held in Levuka on the sth instant, to inquire into and decide on a charge of theft preferred by Mr O'Donnell against Mr Corlitz Cronquist, having cirefuUy considered the case, are j unanimously of opinion that Mr Cronquist! iis guilty of the charge preferred against j him, and consider that the publication of! this verdict and evidence will be sufficient j ! punishment for the offence comuiicted.— j '(Signed) J. A. Manton, Chairman, for ! himself and jurors." Air Cjr.itz Cronquist, j I however, was not satisfied with fie verdict, j 1 and writes to the same issue of the Times \ a letter, in which, amongst several scrip-j tural quotations, ho cills the charge "a' malicious, moan, and dastardly allegation," j speaks of one of the jurymen as "Dr! Judas," says that " the whole proceedings I originated in Mr O'Donnell's desire for ciceinent and hope of selling a few extra j nobblers," and knowing that he shall "have \ the consolation that I shall have the op- j portunity of living it down," " beg to place; on record that if ] am assailed again I also shall take the freedom of resenting auy j attempt to interfere with the liberty of! the subject." * i