HORSEWHIPPING A "SOCIETY" EDITOR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3504, 29 September 1882, Page 4

HORSEWHIPPING A "SOCIETY" EDITOR.

The following account of th* fracas which took place at Christchurch on the 21st inst. appears in a re2ent issue of a Southern contemporary : —ln last week's issue of Society, a journal devoted to social gossip, published by Messrs Izett and Belig in Gloucester-street, the following paragraph appeared under the heading, 'Gossip at the Corner :' —' There is, in this city, a millinery establishment situated not far from Highstreet, presided over by a very charming lady, who finds employment on the premises for the busy fingers of quite a bevy of no less charming maidens. Not far away, across the street, there stands the imposing warehouse of a leading wholesale house, in / which a number of very handsome and no "| less gallant young gentlemen struggle somehow to get through their day's sensuous adolescence with as much avoidance of laborious exertion as possible. Still nearer to the millinery establishment aforesaid may be found the office of s celebrated legal firm, wherein yonng gentlemen devote their superfluous energies to the study of deeds and conveyances with about as much assiduity as their buoyant natures can convey. Given young maids on one side and ardent, though, of courso, industrious young gpntlemen on the other, with only a thoroughfare between, and what may not a spirited imagination conjure up ?' Mr J. M. Crocker, whose place of business is close to the premises of Messrs Edwards, Bennett and Co., merchants ; and Messrs Duncan, Cotterill, and Martin, barristers and solicitors, and who employ about thirty young ladies as milliners and dressmakers, at once came to the conclusion that the ' millinery establishment' alluded to was his. He consequently felt very much annoyed, and his chagrin was increased when he received a letter, dated 16th September, from the parents of one of the young ladies employed by him, which informed him that, in consequence of what had 'appeared in print,' they would not allow their daughter to return to his establishment. He states that he was convinced that there was no truth in the paragraph quoted above, as his employes were all highly respectable and industrious girls, and he at once consulted his solicitor on the subject. The result of this interview was that a letter, demanding an apology, was despatched to the proprietors of Society, and the following reply was received : —' F. VV. Stringer Esq., —Dear Sir—Wo have to express our very considerable astonishment at the contents of your note received this morning. We are at a loss to conceive how your client, Mr J. M. Crocker, can arrive at the conclusion that anything that has ever appeared in our journal in any way refers to his millinery establishment." In last Saturday's number there certainly was a paragraph or two under the head of ' Gossip at the Corner,' in which a millinery establishment was referred to, but the description in no manner agrees with his. For instance, it was stated that the establishment of which we wrote was presided over ' by a very charming lady,' which it is obvious could scarcely apply to him ; and, if it did, it could hardly be held a matter for apology. We assure you we do not doubt thero are several very charming ladies on the premises of Mr Crocker ; and so great is our disposition to live in peace and amity with all mankind and womankind that if such a character had been applied to Mr Crocker's establishment, and was deemed offensive by your client, we should have been most happy to have withdrawn it. After what has been stated above, ' it will be clear that all idea of an apology is out of the question, and you are at perfect liberty to take any proceedings your humour fancies. Believe us, with every assurance of respect, yours faithfully, IzettandSehg.' Mr Crocker,)regarding himself in loco parentis towards his employes during tho hours in which they are under his roof, and considering that both they and Mrs Crocker had been grossly insulted, determined, as he put it, to " protest against the publication of malicious slanders of this nature.' He decided that his best method of doing this was to publicly horsewhip one or both of the proprietors of the offending journal. At about 5 o'clock last evening he met Mr Izett. Addressing himself to Mr Izett, he tendered his card and something like the following conversation ensued:— Mr Crocker : ' 1 understand you are Mr Izett: that is my card.' Mr Izett: ' Well what do you want ?' Mr Crocker : ' You received a letter from my solicitor.' Mr Izett: ' Yes, I received a letter from Mr Stringer.' Mr Crocker : ' That's it. I demand an apology.' Mr Izett: Then you won't get ifc.' Mr Crocker : ' I demand an apology from you now.' Mr Izett: ' My reply to Mr Stringer's letter is all the apology you'll get.' Mr Crocker then struck Mr Izett several times with a light riding whip, and Mr Izett retaliated with his fists, directing his blows at his assailant's face. Mi- Crocker, however, managed to ward them off, and, retreating, increased the the vigour of his blows with the riding-whip. Thus tlie fracas continued for several minutes, neither suffering any serious injury, as Mr Crocker exhibited a strong defence, while his blows only took effect upon Mr Izctt's body. He backed down the street, and by Lhis time a large crowd had assembled, which took the greatest interest in the quarrel, some urging Mr Crocker to put down his whip and ' go for him' with his

fists ; and others cheering on Mr Izett. At length the combatants became separated, and Mr Crocker jumped into a cab and drove home rapidly, while Mr Izett took refuge in the City Hotel. Neither of the gentlemen bear any serious marks, and both seemed perfectly satisfied with the result of the encounter. It is probable that the R.M. Court will furnish a sequel to this scandal.