Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1873 "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 295, 25 September 1873, Page 4

Tuapeka Times. AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1873 "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

It is not only the business of the journalist to discuss the political and social questions that crop up ftorntime to time to engage the attention, of tlie public, but also to occupy the censor's chair, and pronounce his verdict on passing events. I;n fulfilment of this par-t of our duty, we would call attention, with a

vteWjce.-souadiCt"hate.of ta a denouement of crime which repently startled the people of Melbourne by its tragic accompaniments. L Wg^\rdill.-filQd,the place of accountant tcTtihe Sugar T!o. of Melbourne, and possessed with the passion of becoming rich by a sudden stroke of fortune, he, speculated L JwjtTi jfcne^ ifliolaey sj.,6f his, e^iployers, played also for high stakes, intending, as he expressed it, to restore the thefts if successful. But instead of .being successful in \\is 'speculations, • he, 'was the reverse ; and wten. jhe .resorted i tp ; play,^ha «was equally unfortunate. In one !yea.r Ke lost th.&i 'kosJvy iyßm^af |£2000 T?y losses at 100 and poker, <and his defalcations as a whole ,'amount to £7000. To meet these 'los^s&Ke" <Jfew^cheques_.fr^)m his emmojeirs and transterre^Tthe same tfy nfe dvvn Vt priva^e' acedttnt: He had next to cook the books to conceal the embezzlement. $$T aJtimQ Ije succeeded in this career of dishonesty and falsehood, but at' length concealment came tq an end, and witE^h^§ ffig offreckoning! He could"no% face^the trien whom Ihe had betrayed. Hunted by remorse, he rushed forth tq "got h anywhere, anywhere out of -the j world." ; This is the dark side of the pic'tfuf^ bjisit 'dtjii»jihob*iwibhoUt -sdme ; features. The confes-: ;sion he makes, and the spirit of it; Ithe'verdic^he f |)rdTk>un'ees on him* iself as a ""frightful scoundrel;" t\ie way in whic]j he hestitates to carrylout the suicidal purpose, from sisjht '• of his wife and child ; the verdict j he pronounces on. the vash act he ii^ about to commit, as meriting everlasting punishment, are some relief to the darkness of his criminal career. j~* -' _, • • • ,- 3 One cannot help feeling that here is,, a; man- with some ,, of the finersensibilities ,of ouu nature, just ruined by thevice of unscrupulous speculations. But for ' the curse of these upon hina, and tne fatal fascinations of those gambling hells to which' ]ie incontitiehtly yielded himself up, he might have held up his head in society as an object of esteem, he might have been a kind husband. and tender father, .Willingly wosliJHve-draw" a veil over his crimes, did we.jopt deem it right to use his sad encl as a beacon with which to.w,arn othei;s ; to steer clear of the whirlpool in which he became engulfed. The coniplamt .has been raised j in the leading journals ' "of Great Britain that Ihe .curse of gambling ! is falling' as a blight upon all public institutions and amusements. It is no. longer confined to scenes of dissipation. It is corrupting all that used to be -gloried in as purely English. The -turf is becoming thoroughly rotten through its means. Our. youth at the leading universities cannot get up their annual rowing matches, but 'high stakes are pledged on the issue. From such prominent sports it is notdifficult totrace the trail through every variety of meaner 'contests. That in these colonies We,' areimita-ting-.and perhaps (Jutvieing the mother country ijxJ^is.iYicious degeneracy, there seems reason- to fear that this said occurrence will be- the means"- "of 'furnishing "proofs.' Threats ar.6, ■ being; held, ojifc that from the diary of this unfortunate victim the place and the men engaged in such nefarious proceedings will be exposed. We hope they will. We need astorm sometimes to j ol^ar the atmpsphere.

It wril be*t)bserved thftt tenders are called foi % the various mail services radiating from Lawr.erne'e: We are' glad to notioe that a bi-weekly service from Beaumont ta Switzera is calleOj^o^Aad , we-trust / a reasonable/(iSerl'i.will h&, *nidide. fotfAifc.* Should this contract be. let, a biweekly service from the/I)lii)rabin. to Tapanui- will follow as a matter of.cpufse, ajn^ 4 w P*£ V6 \yj.npp°vt!*-nfc afstricts w^ll.^e^i h^^/that jus|ice awarded ' to, . the'na, ** by the GovewuAefi^/tfeoi.l^hich'i.they are fully entitled? -Had tender been icall^'d 1 for b! Icti- weekly service, between Lavvi'enpe and 'Waipiori, our tsatisfac.tioQ would have jbeen cpjn"plete looking; at tthe matter from iHt ,se>lfish,v pointi of. \;iew, for the Tt?Ai*EKA Times as a bi- wigekly publication would^faenvreach the great majority^ of its_ readers on the same day asis'sued. : But- Walpon. lately has been under a cloud, and perhaps a bi-weekly mait service would be ;toa much 'to.&cp'eick'for. it just at present ; still, there are better- days in stofe'-fof that 1 'Hifetrfdt. When' the/ scheme*,, »ow» decided -upon, is-camed-into effect, wahave .•evii-y confidence .that an, increased | impetus will bejgiv.en to .the mining' industry--, /a^j&myiyeaKi- of prosperity guaranteed to that goldfield whicjifprovedi io the early ' t days. • .-•-"--,. j