CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 653, 23 October 1874, Page 2

CROMWELL.

—o—(FROM OUR owv CORRESPOXnS»rr.) On last Sunday week a disgraceful proceeding took p’ace not a hundred miles from the Kawaraii Gorge, and which redounds to the lasting igimmy of all concerned. Two ladies chose to quarrel about a beau, and the only way in which it was determined to settle the dispute was bv go•ng out on the flat, and making it a “ field light.” The gladiators pc -led off, tucked up their sleeves, and f, light like two nun for over an half-an-hour ; bat not bt ing present I am unable to describe each round. My informant, wl o was an eye-witness, assured mo that the tight was savage in the extreme, and the defeate 1 am izon has been coi.fi ied to her hone over since, having had her face somewhat roughly handled. It is feared by some that Rimmell’s finest sup will have to be employed a long while before the skin is leitored to its pristine sta'e. A number of men wore pr- sent, and encouraged the sanguinary, battle, some of whose names I have a very great disposition to publish, but as I do not want to individualize 1 will let them pais. T,e ladies in question are known to the redd eats by the very flattering cor nomens “The Qncou ” and “ The Dowagess,” the last named being the conqueror, and is entitled to all the eclat. It is not unlikely that the Police will, upon enquiry, lake stq a to perpetuate their fame by introduci ig them to the notice of Mr Simpson, who in turn may hand them over to the lo 'k-up keeper, where they will be denied the opportunity of indulging in this ladylike and graceful accomplishment, disgusting to their s x, and degrading to th imselvea.

Mr Haller.stein’s building ia rapidly approaching comp'etion; and it is rumored that our Ex-Mayor purposes enlarging his premises. I notice that Mr Marsh’s new stable ia all but finished, and it is built to accommodate 11 horses. The iron ia now on the ground, hut owing to a scarcity of cirpenters the work is temporarily stopped. This will supply a want long Wt. About three weeks ago a robl ery from the yard of the Bridge Hotel took place, hut as 1 feared it might impede the authorities I refrained from noticing the circumstance? which, briefly staVd, were these. Mr John Miller, of Cromwell, was helping Mr Thomas Marsh with a ro’ler, and had taken off his coat containing his pocket hook, which lie very carelessly hung up in the yard. Leaving it tho-o ho went into the hotel to have a drink, when a lightfingered gentleman, and one of the “ fancy,” thought he bad a better right to it than the lawful owner, and forthwith possessed himself thereof. Mr Miller immediately returned, and found the coat where he had left it. hut the pocket book was missing. Suspicion fell upon the stranger John Goldhurg alias Levy, and information was at once given to the Police. .Sergeant Cassell’s searched Goldhurg, hut could not discover the pocket book. Golhurg then went to tho Albert Town races, where ho again misconducted himself, anl was brought b-fero Justicesof the Peace,hut through insufficient evidence ho escaped. Goldhurg was closely watched by Cassells and Constable Pierpoint from his arrival from the races on Sunday night till Monday last, when at about eleven o’clock in the morning John Goldhurg alias Levy thought ho would leave Cromwell behind, and started to walk to Clyde, doubtless with the intention of still further enriching his sto-e, or in his parlance “greed." Fate, however, willed it otherwise, as, when crossing tho Lii !ge, Sergeant Cassells very properly thought that would be the best time to search Goldhurg called him back, when this pickpocket attempted to protect himse f by dropping a chamois bag containing somo nuggets, and which wero in Mr Miller’s pocket book when lost. This move, however, was noticed by Mr John Marsh, who directed the Sergeant’s attention thereto. 'lhe bag was picked up, and Mr Millci's oug-cts recovered, Goldhurg arrested, and ready all the money found upon his person. This Goldhurg ia a stranger to Cromwell, only attending the races ; hut because one man i? dishonest it would he most unfair to condemn others, or deprive them of their profitable recreation, although it is equally just to chronicle the capture of a finished

black leg, an-1 equally gratifying to the community to know that a thief has been 'cut off .in his “little game." He will bo brought up before Mr Simpson this morning at eleven o’clock.

On Friday last there was an unusually large attendance at the Resident Magis-

trate’s Court, and there was quite an array of the legal profession, as well as Justices of the Peace. Many of the townspeople attended the Court at eleven oclock, the hour wh ui proceedings cmi nenced. The cause of this excitement was owing to a charge of perjnry prefei red against Dr James Corse, Coroner for the district, aid also a Justice of the Peace. Messrs Jolly, Loughnan, and Hazlett occupied the Bench; and Mr F. J Wilson, of Clyde, appeared for the prosecution ; Mr Johnston, assisted by Mr Cowan, and Mr Finn, of Queenstown, for the accused. It was alleged that the perjury consisted in the Doctor swearing, on the llthult., in a proceeding then before the Court, in which Max Gall and Co., chemists, sued Mr Cowan for medicines supplied that he (Dr Corse) considered the charge most exorbitant. He was a medical nvm of twenty years’ practice. He never charged more than 3s 6d for a bottle of medicine. When in receipt of a professional fee he did not charge for medicine supplied, and as a rule he only supplied medicine to travellers. On this evidence the Resident Magistrate, W. L. Simpson, Esq., reduced the items of 10s in the account, allowing 5s in lieu thereof. After this decision Mas Gall and Co. found that Dr Corse had charged a number o c Cromwell people for medicine, at the rate of 7s 61 per bottle, and they then applied for a re-hearing, on the ground that the evidence of the Doctor was untrue and incorrect. The Resident Magistrate postponed the application for the rt-hearing for a week, to allow affidavits to be tiled, but, between this and the day appointed for the ro hearing Mr Cowan paid the difference between the amount originally claimed, and the ju Igment into Court, the eby stopping the re-hearing. Max Gall and Co. then swore an information, and the prosecution commenced. These are the facts. A number of respectable witnesses were examined, and proved these things in the main, although differing in some of the less matirial points, whereupon Mr Finn, with an impetuosity peculiar to his clime, and an amount of assurance deserving of the most pointed notice, characterized the witnesses for the prosecution as a ‘ lotof conspirators. ’’ Now, I can stand a good deal, and though I may secure the ill-will of this gentleman and enrtfrire, I don’t feel disposed to allow these random shots, and unwarrantable aspersions to be thrown on I, effecting, as they do, the character and position of som“ of the oldest and most respected CromwePians. What did the gentleman mean by calling the people, better known than himself, “conspirators;” and, will he, divested of the protection of the Court, use the same epithet to them ? It, to say the least, was very bad taste, and will not do this gentleman a deal of service, as one opinion only prevai's, and it is that the witnesses were no conspirators," but attended Court obedient to summonses, and had no iiriere: t in the result one way or another. It was remarked that none showed an over anxiety to secure a committal, but on the contrary answered both aides straightforwardly and independently, and if there was any variance whatever, it was only to b.i expected, as, unless nocs be taken at the time and kept it is almost impossible 10 rely too much upon the human understanding for exact phrases. By what process of reasoning then can it he affirmed that the witnesses were “conspirators;" and bow can their conduct be interpretel as such? Why did the Bench of Justices allow this observation topass unchecked or unrebuked, seeing that our respected Magistrate was one of the s'-called “conspirators?" Admitting, as I do, that great latitude should ho allowed the gentlemen of the Bar, and that their whole mind being bent towards establishing the innoccnco of their client may receive an impresri n not easily removed, still, I will not surrender the ri.hts of the resilents of Cromwell, especially whe i assailed by a new arrival, and one who is not even a resident. This hearing is now closed, and it is to be hoped that it is done with. The Doctor may have been mistaken, or may not. The Justices dismissed the information both on the merits an 1 on legal grounds, and it is, therefore, only fair to assume that the thing originated in a mistake. Young men are apt to fancy themselves, especially when making a less gifted person appear “small," but they hould not bo flushed with tho transient victory, and under the protection of "privilege ” slander a community, and use language that in less well-regulated places would bo sure to reap its rewar I. Members of the Press are equally as reliable as witnesses as any of their more gifted (?) assicides of tho Four Courts, and equally as ca able of determi. iig whether parties arc speaking the tmth, or otherwise. To altinu that nine witnesses would conspire to injure another citizen is to indicate that they were unworthy of any consideration, ami a disgrace to any community. Oh fie, legal eatelite ! Repen*-, repent 1 Ask forgiveness, and it shall be granted. Fii/c, vale !

It may not ho generally known, but it is a fa'ct that several member" of the Order of Oootl Templars have resigned or broken through, and I believe it is the intention of one to deliver a lecture, shortly, upon “ Templarism.” It has been suggested that the members in this district would do well to consider the following lines written by a secede ! brother, who has requested me to notice them :—r. poet has asked, “What is friendship?” “In a word—a gem united with faith, hope, and charity ; faith to persevere, hope to meant, and charity to f or. tive. These qualities combined and used all to look to Sovereign power pervading social lifeand daily intercourse.” “Friendship, thou eaored all ruling word ; appealing to the heart, the nobler qualities, the better

part; easy to excuse, ami yet not to reason blind ; mounting aloft—loaves the terres trial sphere—soars beyond the earthly sky, and dies in hope." >