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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 933, 14 April 1879, Page 2

Yf>v"SO iVIivliU'EV ;i»ii* Miaa fchn-t: which a» {^''^ ftis vacillating pf..wnti.f, wh.* had. »•< »' wm\ to tm< dragged forth, C.i bear witrvr.s iu<ainst bis r.int"., ;-is though Fit hiuw-'t'.t: w«te a, criminal. averred at tiw vwtst.-t Chat M;wMew was the watt, and he «U*t £llt> same confidently during the preliminary trial at the Resident Magistrate's Cwwrt m this town.. Although there were other circumstances surrounding the ease that seemed to point to Madden as the perpetrator of title outrage, the tuan Collins' testimony was the Imk chat hound the whole evidence together, and without it thy licenced would not have gone beyond the preuinets of {fie Resident Magistrate s Court. Pat the Supreme Court. was too much for the nervetw sensibilities of a mart like Collins. The yell with which he tallied the- policeman »n the night of the attack, and the difticutty with which ho wits' initiicuul to prosecute itv the? of pubtic safety. ty«£ as to fear that he would break down in the Supreme ortrt. tlu did so. and the only perfe nuance in Che programme that we had drawn «p that ttiit not come oft", was his falling into the arms »{ a policeman—overcome with tin* awfwtness of the occasion. The nonstable that was the first to rush C\lltns' rescue, swore .««.**»Wety that the m;m „ao wm running away from, Collins was Madden,hehavingseenhts back urntera [ u-as tamp.. Another witness who- saw a man j running front the scene of the attack said be believed that it was Madden, Wt could not swear to it. This is all the evidence ; that appears to hiWe been given against the prisoner,and the prosecution felt through. Collins' action in tfw matter is not sttch as to call forth praise. If he had been a man after Madden s heart fit? cotdd not lutve acted in a more' friendly manner towards hint. We were anxious that the man who attacked Collins should W punished for his act. are debarred tronv saying whether our anxiety had any : reference to Madden er not. Whoever | Collins' assailant may he, he haa had a j narrew escape front protracted imprison- , ment with hard labor, and it is tn> be i hoped that he wiß turn his attention to a |

more honorable method of obtaining money, and one that will not be fraught with ho much danger to the public. It is a cowardly thing to attack a man—especially a man like Collins —in the dark, when the subject of the attack is unsuspecting. Men who want to get money that belongs to other people, without going to the usual trouble, should ask the subjects upon which they wish to operate to choose their weapons, in order to fight fairly for it. There is asocial substratum in Oatnaru that would do credit to the worst portion of London, and it in the congenial soil of this substratum that our bad characters —male and female —are growing so prolificly. This is why we regret that Collins' assailant has got off 3cot-free. If one or two of the known high priests of the Oamaru villains were made an example of, much would be done towards exposing the dens of infamy »f this town that foster all kinds of wickedness.