The Globe. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1875.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 258, 9 April 1875, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1875.

The case of Patrick Carey which was before the Supreme Court yesterday shows what a crop of fools there must be about the different towns of New Zealand. A stranger enters the public billiard room of an hotel in Port Lyttelton, and not very long afterwards the billiard marker and himself, with a third man who does not make his appearance in the Court, are playing at “ Yankee grab” for a pound a throw. The consequence is as may be expected that the innocent biliiaid marker loses his money, and then he discovers that he is playing at a disadvantage, afresh set of dice being used by his opponent. At all events this is the charge he brings against the man Carey, who yesterday appeared to answer this charge and that of conspiracy to defraud. The Jury did not think it worth while to leave the box even, and acquitted the prisoner, as it was evident that he could not conspire alone, and there was no getting hold of the man unknown, who had formed the third in the happy party at the hotel. We should be inclined to say, judging from the number of persons who are to be met with, all of whom are well dressed, have money in their possession, and do not seem to do anything for a livelihood beyond attending the various race meetings held in different parts of the colony, that there are a larger proportion of the community living on their wits, and the foolishness of the other portions of the public, in New Zealand, than in any other country we know of. We even think that in this young country the old proverb that “ a fool is born every minute” is not a fair representation of the facts, as it would take at least double that quantity of innocents to support the crew that range from Dunedin to Auckland on the look out for “ flats” of every description. But we know full well it is no use preaching ; so long as these fools are born into the world, so long will they find sharpers of every degree ready to relieve them of their superfluous cash, and to teach them a lesson which they refuse otherwise to learn. The only chance that the general public have of knowing to what an extent the system of living on the weakness and credulity of others is carried on in New Zealand, is on one of those occasions, when the robbers fall out, and the revelations made in some of these cases are edifying to a very great degree. But in spite of all this, the game goes merrily on, and the well dressed sharper, lives a life of, comparatively speaking ease and comfort, while his victims go to their daily work with his chain around their necks, and are lucky if they ever get rid of the incumbrance they bear in recollection of their acquaintanceship with him.