SHOULD BRAVERY BE REWARDED?

Evening Star, Issue 2799, 6 February 1872, Page 2

SHOULD BRAVERY BE REWARDED?

To the Editor. Sir, —A short time since a local appeared in your paper describing in very glowing and well-deserved terms the heroic bravery of Constable O'Donnell, in stopping in his mad career a runaway horse, which threatened to annihilate men, women, and children, in his course along the principal street in Dunedin. No one, I am sure, who read that account but felt that Constable o‘Donnell deserved from the public something more substantial than a notice of his brave conduct. Had it been part of his duty to run tho risk of losing his life to save that of others, one might pass it over by saying, “ Oh, he is paid for itbut such not being the case, and the act being that of a truly brave man, I think it would be a shame to allow it to pass over without a substantial recognition from the public. Supposing the horse had been allowed to pursue his mad course and kill some one, what would the effect be on the public ? If the sufferer was the father of a family left destitute, they would at once come to their relief. If, ou the other hand, he was a man or a person in a good position, a criminal prosecution would at once be instituted against the owner of the horse, and tho country put to the expense of a few hum

dred pounds in prosecuting the case. But, by the act of Constable O'Donnell both contingencies have been prevented, and surely he is entitled to some encouragement to act in a like brave manner should a similar circa instance occur.—Yours, &c., Argus,