HAVELOCK

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 174, 19 November 1880, Page 3

HAVELOCK

[From Our Own Correspondent.] November 13, 18S0. A public meeting was held in the Town Hall, Havelock, last evening, convened by Mr. 11. C. Moiler, to discuss certain matters of public interest. Mr. David Pick took the chair. Mr. Moller said : It is not my intention at this meeting to hy your patience with a long speech. The object of the meeting is to clear Havelock and the surrounding distiiet of Constable Hogan. If we succeed in that two objects are gained, one of which is the saving the Government an unnecessary expenditure. For the last twelve or fourteen years, when there was a larger ! population, and when flax and saw mills were busy, one policeman was able to keep order; now that llax mills have disappeared and saw mills are almost at a standstill, wc have two constables. 1 ask, for what purpose ? Is it on account of the number of crimes committed ? I say no. (Cries of No, no.) I do not think there is a town in New Zealand the size of Havelock, where the Court is troubled with so little crime as at Havelock. There is in truth nothing to do for two constables, one can do all that is required. The consej queuce of having two is that our friend I Constable Hogan sits down thinking how | to get up Court cases. Most of these during j the last six months were, in my opinion, created by Hogan against the citizens. 1 believe more than two-thirds of the eases were dismissed or withdrawn, but not without, causing heavy expense and a great deal of inconvenience to those persons who were dragged into Court. Men who nevc-r thought of being brought to Court, were summoned under the most ridiculous accusations. Our present position is similar to that under the Spanish Inquisition, a man never knows the minute he may be dragged into Court, or how to get out of it. Hogan's word is taken before the word of the best of you. A policemen can be a gentleman as well as any other man, but is not always so. A month since, Hogan having searched in vain to get up some case in Havelock to keep his name up and the ('ourt engaged, went to Deep Creek in plain clothes, and, without a warrant, entered the house of Mr. Morgan, who was at work in his claim, his wife, an invalid, being at home, took him to be a settler, as lie asked her where lie could get a drop of whiskey, and if he could get it from Moller. He called me an old devil and a scoundrel because I lock my doors when Igo away. After searching Mr. Morgan’s place, smelling bottles and tasting some hop beer, lie espied a cask of powder which Mr. Morgan had previously brought up from Havelock for blasting a ail race, and lie took it in his grasp saying, “Thisis what I want; lam Hogan.” We i then consoled -the trembling woman by saying, “It js not your husband, it is Brownlee and Co. I want to get at.” Mr. Morgan wanted to use the powder on the following day as the water in the creek was low: lie went to Havelock to get his powder, but had to return without it. The powder is still in Hogan's possession, and has been mo”e than a month, but no proceedings have been taken either against Brownlee and Co. or Morgan. What do you think of that? He has committed numerous acts of a similar kind here, of which you are more or less awa re, therefore I ask you if you will stand it any longer? Will you lie treated as rebels, outlaws, rioters, and convicts? (No, no.) Then let us send a petition to head quarters that an inquiry he made into his conduct, and when we have proved our charges, let him be dismissed from the force. I challenge Hogan or any other man to dispute the statements 1 have made.

At tiie conclusion of M r Mollor’s speech, Mr. John Had field Smith said lie considered Mr. Moller was guilty of cowardly conduct in bringing an accusation against a man when lie cannot reply to it. Mr. Moller had no business to call a meeting to listen to a one-sided complaint, and to incite the public against the police. If Sergeant Hogan had done wrong, Mr. Moller had his remedy, the Courts being open ; he could report Hogan to his superior officers. Mr Whitton said he could not live in Havelock under the present system. Mr McNeil said his grievance was that Sergeant Hogan had treated him badly o i the race-course on Tuesday, the Oth, and that a warrant had been issued ; also that when arrested the Sergeant would not hand it to him to read, but contented himself with reading it to him ; that he then took him to the dog-kennel—the lock-up. Mr McNeil drew a pathetic picture of the situation, dwelling on the fact of his being a stranger and the cruel manner in which he had been served. This gentleman commencecl liis address by sitting on the table with his cap oil. Whether this may be considered as a figurative mode of expression by which he may have thought he had been “ sat upon,” or whether it was significant of the future that he would not be “ sat upon,” the meeting did not express any opinion. There being no motion before the meeting the Chairman, who had previously stigmatised the Sergeant as a tyrant, put it thus : being drawn up to the Government for Sergeant Hogan’s removal, stand up.” About ten did so. The Chairman intimated to Mr Moller that he was in a minority and that he must take his wares to another market, as here he had certainly failed on this occasion. At this stage of the proceedings a pair of boxing gloves were thrown on the table in front of the Chairman. The meeting separated peaceably. There were about 100 persons present.