POWELKA AND THE POLICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1216, 26 August 1911, Page 10

POWELKA AND THE POLICE.

Sir,—l cannot suppress voicing my indignation at thoso inhuman cowards among the police, officers v,-ho effected tha recapture of Powolka yesterday, who called out, "Shoot him! Shoot him! Shoot him!" What manly men they are. In heart they are .murderer. 1 !. A poor handcuffed wretch, surrounded by sixty police and gaol officials armed with revolvers. Poor fellow! with all my heart I pity Win. lie has twenty-one years to servo in gaol, and after that to start on an indeterminate sentence. And yet. lift, still retains sonio sweetness for the poor fellow, as evidenced by his appeal not to bo shot. How well h©_kncm- what irresponsible people tho police are when in pissession of firearms. The frightful doings at Palmerston North eighteen months ago showed that to him. T'lifss acts still rank Foro in tho hearts of tho public of New Zealand. I have seen many comedies on the singe, but I never saw greater than the outrageous scenes in Palraerston district prior to tho poor harm loss creature's capture, and the laughable comedy I witnessed on the Terrace yostordav. How few cf thoso police would single-handed face any man who showed fair light with, his fists. No, they would fly, 01 else exclaim, as yesterday, "Shoot him! Shoot him!" Who can woiukr at Powolka. yesterday telling ono of them what " ho thought'of him,, or, as the press Ascribes, "using a vile epithet at him." I might add that looking at poor Powclka yesterday, and Hie army of polico and gaol officials around him, I could not help but contrast (he faces. In nil senses his face is of a far higher type and ho looks in every way a higher typo cf man. Trusting that you will publish what I feel sure are not only my own

sentiments, but those of tho respectable portion of the community also, who are loud in their indignation, freely expressed in tramcars to-dav,—l am, etc., OUTRAGED. Wellington, August IS, 1911. | We publish our correspondent's letter, but his sweeping attack on the police force we are confident will meet with very little sympathy from the public.]