THE GREEN HARP SWINDLE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 246, 17 October 1872, Page 9

THE GREEN HARP SWINDLE.

The Auckland correspondent of the " Daily Times " says : — The majority of those charged with conspiracy in connection wit'a the notorious Green Harp case are committed for trial. The investigation had lost interest with the general public, although disclosing some queer proceedings in connexion with it. One of the mo it amusing was an effort of two well-known and popular young men, who had been severely "slated," to •' pick themselves up," as they phrased it. For this purpose they arranged an interview with Fergusson (the sharebroker involved with the directors) at his request, and offered to get proceedings againct him stopped if the money paid by them to Fergusson for shares were returned. After a long conversation and much bargaining, they were suddenly turned upon by Fergusson, reproached with an endeavour to extort money, and informed them that every word they hadsaid was taken down by a reporter placed for the purpose in the adjoining room. They were fairly caught in the trap, and had no help for it. The notes themselves were curious, and some of them read out iv Court proved highly amusing. The presiding Magistrate, for example, was spoken of as an old ass, the Crown Prosecutor in equally complimentary terms, and Fergusson was especially warned that it would go hard with him, as some of these gentlemen had been themselves "let in" by the swindle. You will see from this that the Green Harp, like all other cases, has its comical side. It has in fact been rather productive in that way, and people have become reconciled to their losses and have lostiuteresfcsofar, that were it not for the funds provided by. the subscription first raised, the prosecution would have probably dropped.

Mr Sheehan amused the house by

an anecdote about a person asking in a shop for "a shilling's worth of Yogel," the article wanted being six twopenny stamps-

A pamphlet just published, descrip ! tive of a tour through the Waikato ! and Lake districts, severely deprecates ] the practice indulged in by visitors of scrawling upon these beautiful natural terraces. The writer says: — "Over the flat terraces the water flows in a thin unbroken sheet ; and it is a curious fact that it has the power of rendering indelible, after a short time, any marks made with a lead pencil on the marble-like surface of the rock. This circumstance has been turned to account by a great many mischievous persons who have visited the sp:>t ; the consequence being that a whole terrace, iistead of retaining its pristine beauty, is covered with scrawls. Some influential folks, who should have known better, have here left their autographs for the study of those of posterity who may be interested in such subjects. Others, less influential and less wellknown, have left records of their pedestrian feats ; and future generations will know that John Smith, of Holborn, London, visited this place on the first of April, after walking with his friend, Adolphus Robinson, 40 miles in as many hours. Some have loft a sort of business card, so that visitors for all time may know that a railway contractor from Wales, or a chemist, or a printer from Shovtlancl, or an umbrella merchant, or a land agent from Grahamstown, once honored the spot with Uispresence."