A New Phase of Larrikinism.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 57, 22 October 1887, Page 2

A New Phase of Larrikinism.

A correspondent sends to the Tuapeka paper a communication somewhat surprising in character, touching on a new phase of larriltinismas developed in one of the up-country villages, not a hundred miles from the Molyneux. According to his showing there is a thoroughly organised band of from ten to twenty, including young men and middle-aged men, bachelors and heads of families, who prowl about, like the evil spirit, seeking for whom they may devour, They watch men go into the local public-house and; even strangers, who after a journey go to refresh the inner man and go beyond a certain limit, ate keenly watdhed. On the unfortunate tippler leaving the hotel, he is followed, and on a given signal—generally a shrill whistle—he is surrounded. A rope is produced, and the victim is lassooed and bound hand and foot to a post or a barbed wire fence, or anything else convenient His face is then painted in different colours—red and white lead being mostly used. Of course the more the victim struggles in self-defence, the more roughly he is handled. Every precaution is taken to prevent him injuring or marking any of the gang so as they could be indentified. In this unhappy plight the "drunk” is kept for some considerable time, or until it pleases the tormentors to release him from bondage. Heis usually liberated by one of the miscreants, who pretends to be accidentally passing, and who sympathises with the victim and denounces in unmeasured terms the Jarrikinism which is rampant in the district. “Whether this is a new form of temperance crusade.” says our correspondent “ I am not in a fit position to say ; but the fact that many of these cowardly miscreants wear the blue ribbon leads one to believe that the indignity which I have described is done with a view to reformation. If this is so, it is to be regretted that the noble cause of temperance should be so degraded ; and I trust those concerned in temperance will look into the matter."