"DEADWOOD DICK" IN WAITARA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 332, 20 June 1911, Page 8

"DEADWOOD DICK" IN WAITARA

SCURRILOUS AXOfrfiVfous LETTERS. Two members of the Waitara Harbor Board yesterday received anonymous letters threatening them with all sorts pf disaster if they persisted in their policy of dispensing with the permanent staff. The first was a brief epistle neatly lettered in capitals, and ran as follows: "I have got to let you know that from now on men found guilty of wilfully injuring anyone for spite by sacking them will be dealt with in a terrible way, houses set fire to, and a leader be shot with a poisoned arrow fired from a bow, so wonce struck the victom is doomed ■without leaving any trace, which :may be done in any place. Please warn friends." > The other was a scrawl in a large round hand, carefully disguised. Hie wording was disgusting, too. With the fireworks out, it read as under:—

You . you shall pay dearly for your scoundrelism on that harbor board. You thought you could do just as you liked and be safe against those you do not like. But you have made a mistake, as the day for allowing that sort of tiling is past and gone. It is now an eye for an eye, no matter how, and sure as the dredge went to the bottom, so will you pay for your dirty work, you . I going to tell you what is going to take place. Your farm is to be sown with ragwort, Californian thistle, and blackberries, and if you don't stop doing dirty work your cattle will be poisoned. So now you know, you - pig, what you are going to do for yourself, you , and the rest of the crowd will got their deserts."