FRATERNITY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 29, 3 February 1881, Page 4

FRATERNITY.

( Wanganui Herald.) In the libel case of Griffiths v. Johnson, just heard at Blenheim, the evidence of one of the witnesses is so remarkable as to call for notice. A Mr H. P. Macklin appeared ia the wit-ness-box to swear to a conversation he had had with the defendant of a damaging nature. Macklin stated that he was master of a Masonic Lodge, and that plaintiff and defendant were members, and that in his position he had tried to arrange the differences between them. The evidence shows, on the contrary, that Macklin, who was in the confidence of both parties, conveyed to theaggrieved person alleged admissions of the defendant, and fomented the quarrel until the parties were involved in deadly litigation ; and then as the fruit of his duplicity Macklin appears in Court to swear to statements he alleged Johnson had made to himself in the confidence of private friendship. Macklin swore that he expostulated with Johnson about publishing the letter on which the action was founded, and that the defendant admitted it referred to the plaintiff. Then, to Macklin's chagrin, , the following letter was produced by defendant's counsel in Court : — " High School, October 2nd, 1879. Dear Johnson, — I have some recollection of telling you to make no apology to- , Griffiths. Do you remember me say- , ing bo ? — Your obedient servant, H. P. ; Macklin," Then counsel drew from him an admission of writing the followi ing letter : — " I do not believe that ! there is a libel nor ground of action, so i far as Griffiths is concerned. . . . Remember, my own opinion is that there is no libel, and that if there were the settlement protects everything and further, I do not believe Griffiths means to rake the affair up in Court." The following answers and questions place Macklin and his fraternal obligations in a rather lurid light : — " As a matter of fact, when the letter appeared did you not advise Mr Griffiths to bring an ac- , tion ? — I don't remember ; I am not i certain : in trying to settle the case I ■ got very angry with both sides. Did ■ you not offer Mr Griffiths financial assistance as against Mr Johnson or the writer of the letter ? — I have no memory of it. . Will you swear you did not offer Mr Griffiths financial assistance ? i I will not swear I did not. Did you 1 not offer to give Mr Johnson £10 or an IOU for. that amount ?-r-I don't remember." And so on, Referring to Macklin's conduct, Mr Travers did not exceed a fair commentary on ihe evidence when he said : " He (Macklin) wanted a scrimmage, there was no doubt of that, and, to prove the desire, he had ■ offered money, first to one side and then to ihe other. A capital plan, no doubt, to attain hie object. It reminded him ofthe Kilkenny cats. Mr Macklin reached out one hand and collared one party by the tail. Then he drew their tails together, knotted them, and chucked the two infuriated animals across a rail, where he left them to fight until nothing remained but the tails and a bunch of hair. . . . He was ai the bottom of the whole affair without doubt, exciting the one and inciting the other." This i might be thought amusing were it not . for the fearful amount of treachery and baseness which has been associated with a society whose principles and preGeptft are unimpeachable. There Burely ought to be some means of purging the society of men like Macklin. The pretence that*he was acting Masonically has only to be confronted by his own ad- " missions to show how great is the slur ' this man has cast upon the Order, or " rather how unworthy he is to be numk bered amongst its members,

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