A LEVIN EVICTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 497, 21 October 1909, Page 3

A LEVIN EVICTION.

Monday’s Devin Chronicle records an eviction. Our contemporary states that at the side of Mr Bradley’s stables there is a little building divided into two shops, one of which is occupied by a hairdresser and the other, until Saturday morning, as a fishshop. The proprietor of the fish shop had been unfortunate in not making his business pay, and got a little behind with his rent. The landlord, seeing no prospect of getting it, resolved to use drastic measures, and on Saturday morning shortly after eight o’clock, commenced to take the roof off the shop. The fisherman’s wife was still in bed with her infant child, and when a neighbour saw what was being done he expostulated with the landlord, but was told to mind his own business. The landlord and his man proceeded with axe and crowbar to remove the roof, and the woman hurriedly dressed and came out into the street.

By this time twenty or thirty persons assembled and some strong expressions were used by several towards the landlord for acting towards a- woman and child as he •was doing. But he had a horse and dray ready to remove the roof, and would not listen to any remonstrance. When he wanted to come through the right-of-way between his shop and the stables, Mr Bradley protested against his right-of-way being used, and both he and the landlord got to high words. To prevent the passage being used Mr Bradley’s brother ran a trap into-it, thus blocking it. Meanwhile the crowd dealt out some very strong remarks to the landlord and his man, who, finding no way into the street turned the horse and dray down the bank into the gravel pit and through the water —a very rough pull—into the street lower down.

There was much sympathy expressed for the fisherman, his wife and child, and a lady in a shop close by took the child and bathed it, giving also attention to the mother. In the eyes of the public the incident is aggravated by the fact that the landlord belongs to the Salvation Army, but it is due to the Army to say that it never countenances any such extreme measures, and therefore should not be blamed for the act of an individual. The feeling is very strong in the town that, considering the circumstances, the landlord did not act the part ot a Christian.