A ROMANCE OF TRANSPORTATION.

Southland Times, Issue 654, 8 April 1867, Page 3

A ROMANCE OF TRANSPORTATION.

The "Liverpool Courier" is answerable for the following ;— Many stories are told of "the strange eventful his-' tories " of transported convicts ; the following amongst the number may not perhaps be without interest as a tale, at least, of a transported boy, and what became of him. Mr D. Carroll, of 68, Gordon Street, Everton, is our authority, and he says he will satisfy any serious inquirer on the subject. Some years ago: Mr Carroll was a police-officer of this town, and one night, while on duty at Vauxhall Eoad, he detected two youths breaking into a shop at the corner ofCockspur Street. One was a boy named "William , Atkinson^ : whose age was about fifteen at the time, and this lad, on examination,- proved to have been the son of parents (then dead): of respectable character, but humble in social position. They had died when the boy was very young, and left him to the care of an aunt, who was a drunken woman, and consequently the poor boy was neglected, fell into bad company, and step by step descended into the depths of juvenile crime, until arrested as above stated. Mr Carroll, who is a i man of feeling and discrimination, on examining the boy, was told a tale that not only excited his curiosity but enlisted his sympathies, and finding the lad to be naturally shrewd and intelligent, he felt an interest about the poor forlorn outcast. The boy was sent for trial before the late Recorder of Liverpool (Mr Henderson), and from the story told that kind-hearted gentleman by the boy, he likewise took an interest in the fate of the unfortunate youth. His Honor directed Mr Carroll to make inquiry and report to him about the prisoner who, it may be remarked, had pleaded guilty to the charge of burglary, and now only awaited sentence for the offence. Mr Carroll reported that he found everything the boy told him to be literally correct, and added that he believed the lad capable of doing something better, if in proper hands. "When called up for sentence before the Kecorder the prisoner made a feeling appeal to the Court, begging to be sent out of the country, as he could do no good here, in consequence of bad company, and the loss of his character. Part of Australia at that time was a penal settlement, and, at the urgent solicitation of the boy, the Becorder sentenced him to seven years' transportation, at the same time transmitting to the colony with him (not then an unusual circumstance) a brief history of his career. This arrived safely in Australia, where the convicted boy must be left for some time. His deportation was effected just when the gold discovery was made in Australia, and the lad having served his seven years' transportation, received a very good character and discharge from the individual whom he had so served, and with a very small sum of money he set off for the ' diggings.' What his success there was will be found below. Mr Car-r roll having left the police force, and set up in trade for himself, in which he has fortunately been successful, was one day lately walking on the great landing-stage, when a tall, well-dressed, and gentlemanlylooking young man accosted him by his name, and asked if he knew him. Mr Carroll replied in the negative, when the stranger begged earnestly that he would accompany him to a neighboring hotel, as he had; something of considerable importance to communicate to him. They went to the hotel, and then the stranger asked Mr Carroll if he could at all remember or recognise him. This • was repeated several times with the same answer, " No." and at last the stranger asked, in a very pointed manner, "Do you remember ever taking up two boys for a burglary in a barber's shop at the corner of Cockspur-street and Vauxhall Road ?" Mr Carroll was natu- j rally enough startled, but his newlyfound and gentlemanly friend begged that he would not be frightened, as he was one of the boys, and his name was William Atkinson, as has been already stated, and he added that Mr Carroll was more than a father to him. Here he drew from his pocket a well-filled purse, containing several hundred sovereigns, saying, " This is not half what I am worth ; I made it all honestly, but I may thank you for it." He then told his friend that having got into a place where there were no bad companions, and having obtained a position that afforded him food and raiment, he acted honestly and served his seven years faithfully, anil on being discharged went to the goldfields, where he succeeded in making some £2500, and he had just returned to England to see what it was like ! Some days after this interview he called on Mr Carroll, and told him he could do no good here, even with his money, for already he had been beset by former companions in crime, and in a few days after this Mr Carroll saw him away on board an Australian emigrant ship, a first-clasa passenger. - - , -