A Strange Coincidence.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 144, 13 August 1872, Page 7

A Strange Coincidence.

In our telegraphic intelligence a week or two ago, the death in Auckland of Police-In-spector Morton was chronicled. The Southern Gross of the 13th ult. has the following obituary notice : —On Wednesday last, William Nixon Morton, an inmate of our Lunatic Asylum, died, and yesterday an inquest was held on his remains, when the jury returned a verdict that death was the result of natural causes. Although "unhonoured and unsung" in this part of New Zealand, poor Morton had been a man of some mark years ago in the South Island, as well as in Victoria. It was about eighteen years since when Mr Morton, then a remarkably handsome young man, a eadet in the Victorian Mounted Police. There he became one of the smartest and cleverest of colonial detectives, and subsequently he was promoted to be sub-inspec-tor in the Geelong Constabulary Force. Then in 1861, when the rush took place to Otago, and the Provincial authorities desired to have organised an efficient constabulary force, Mr Branigan was sent for from Victoria to come to Dunedin, where he was made Commissioner of Police. With him came Mr Morton as his right-hand man, and these two organised what was at the time, and has been ever since, admitted to be the finest of all the Colonial police forces in existence. Passing strange that these two—who were the founders of a police system of which every Province in New Zealand is reaping the benefit to this day—should, a few years afterwards, come face to face with each other, both confined as lunatics in the Auckland Asylum. One died on Wednesdayfrom exhaustion resulting from his frenzied struggles ; the other is still a helpless, broken-down, paralysed, and demented man. It was soon after the Wakamarina goldfield was discovered that Mr Morton was sent over and appointed Inspector of a new force drawn from the picked men of the Armed Constabulary of Otago. Here he remained some time, and was married to the daughter of one of Marlborough's oldest and most respected settlers. Subsequently Mr Morton went to Otago ; from there to the Fijis ; from the Fijis to Auckland ; and from there to meet his old brother officer, friend, and comrade, in that asylum where two days ago poor Morton was released from a world which to him of late years had been one full of sorrow and great tribulation."