SYDNEY MORALITY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2174, 12 March 1891, Page 4

SYDNEY MORALITY.

s Tdnet, February 25 Ihe Rev Dr. Oswald Keatinge was! found guilty on Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court of an attempted 1 criminal assault on a girl thirteen; years of age, and was sentenced to ! 'five years' imprisonment.. Mr Justice! Windeyer; in summing up, commented in strong terms on the conduct of Messrs Willis -and Taylor, M.L.A.'s, adding tb<*t if Mr Taylor's evidence was to be believed Mr Willis had connived at the escape of the prisoner from fc'ae colony, to be relieved from a threatened lawsuit, and finding that Keatinge would neither leave the colony nor abandon the lawsuit, Willis sought to protect himself by exposing the crime, which was committed afc T&ylor'u house. Prior to that time Keatinge had been associated with Willis and Taylor in the conduct of a newly-Started Sunday paper. Willis, who is the actual proprietor thereof, had refused to pay Keatinge for aouie articles contributed. ' Taylor,; while under cross-examination, ad- | rnitted he was frequently drunk for a week at a time, and possibly might have gone for more than that period j without washing ■ himself. I he j attempted assault was committed last

November, and though the girl told Mr and Mrs Taylor of it at once, they concealed the fact for over two, months. The jury, in returning their; verdict, added a rider expressing the, highest indignation at this conduct. As to the necessity of a change in the character of some of the representatives the Sydney Daily Telegraph is, very plain spoken when it says:— " We are not so short of men or manhood in this colony as to seek law. makers in the ranks of brutal seducers,! hypocritical or men who! for their own purposes would wink at' the ravishing of a helpless girl. Thej people must insist more than they have: yet done upon getting representatives! whose conduct is able to bear daylight ■, upon it in every particular, either in I or out of Parliament. We want honest and trust-worthy men to make our laws, not salacious reprobates,: driyelling drunkards, or unscrupulous! scoundrels."

March 5. The Rev. Dr Oswalds Keatinge, who was found guilty on Tuesday last week; of attempted assault on a little girl and sentenced to five years' imprison-! ment, died ; in Darlinghurst Gaol on Thursday from cerebral apoplexy. After the* sentence had been passed; upon him, he asked the-Judge to allow! him to have a short interview with his wife ; before he went to gaol, The request was granted, and during the interview, when she exhibited some emotion, he said, "Be-calm and listen toiwhat I have to say, I may not have an opportunity of talking to you again." From the time when he -entered the gaol he seemed to be convinced that he would'mot; live long, and his last aet was to write a long letter couched in affectionatei terms: to hid wife. Shortly after ihe> had finished this he was; seized with a fit, which ended fatally* A post mortem examination showed that; :the";brain ; was much diseased, and that the'severe'mental strain had probably brought ion > the attack. There was no indication of suicide.