A STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 238, 22 August 1872, Page 5

A STRANGE COINCIDENCE.

■ In 'our telegrauhic intelligence a week or two ago, the death in Auckland of PoliceInspector Morton was chronicled. The Southern Cross of the 13th ult. has the following obituary notice :— On Wednesday last William Nixon Morton, an inmate of our ■Lunatic Asylum, died, and yesterday an inquest was held on bis remains. When the jury returned a verdict that death was tbe result of -natural causes.' Although " unhonored and unsung" in this part of New Zealand, poor Morton had been a man of some markyears ago in the South Island, as well as in Victoria. It was about 18 years since when Mr Morton, then a remarkably handsome young man, was a cadet ia the Victorian Mounted Police.' There he became one of; the smartest and cleverest of Colonial detectives, and subsequently he was promoted to be sub-inspector in the Geelong Constabulary Force. Then in 1861, when the rush tdbk place to Otago, and the Provincial authorities desired to have' organised an efficient constabulary force, Mr Branigan was sent for from Victoria to come to Dunedin, where he was made Commissioner of Police. With him came Mr Morton as his righthand man, and these two organised what was at the time, -and has, been ever since, admitted to be the finest of all' the Colonial police forces in existence. Passing strange that these two— who were the founders of a police system of which every Province in New Zealand is reaping the benefit to this day — should, a few yevrs afterwards, come face to face with each other, both confined as lunatics in the Auckland Asylum. One died on Wednesday from exhaustion resulting from his frenzied struggles ; the other is dtill a helpless broken-down, paralysed, and de-

mented man. It was soon after the Wakamarina goldfield was discovered that Mr Morton was scut over and appointed Inspector of a new force drawn from the picked men of the Armed Constabulary of Otago. Here he remained some time, and was married to the daughter of oue Marlb jrough's oldest and most respected settlers. Subsequently Mr Morto > went to Otago ; from thore to the l*'ijs ; from the Fijis to Auckland ; and from there to meet his old brother officer, fri nd, and comrade, in that asylum where two days ago poor Morton w.is released from a world which to him of late years had been o c full of sorrow and great tribulation."