OPEN COLUMN.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 8, 23 February 1867, Page 3

OPEN COLUMN.

THE FEATHBRSTON CASE. (To the Editor of the Wairarapa Mercury.)

Sir, —I have just, this moment noticed a paragraph in the “New Zealand Advertiser” of Wednesday, which contains so much that is false and malicious that I feel constrained to contradict its statements. The paragraph is as follows ;

“ A correspondent writing from Wairarapa on Sunday last says : —• A quarrel occurred at Featbcr.si.on on Saturday night, when a person who is understood to lie connected with the Ixdhi’RXOMXT newspaper, quarrelled with one of the settlors, and pulled out a live-barrelled revolver; loaded and capped, and threatened to blow the settlors brains out. He was quickly overpowered, and conveyed to the lock-up by the police, but was subsequently liberated upon depositing J -5 as bail, and the officer kept the revolver. The case will be heard before the Resident Magistrate to-morrow (Monday). A witness says the delinquent bad been drinking previous to the occurrence of this event, and was to all appearance raving mad at the time.’ ” The above it is needless to say refers to myself. The fact of my presence in the Wairarapa, and the position I hold in the “ Independent ’’ Office are equally well known while the affair at Feathcrston has been heard of all over the district for the last week. Such being the case, it is of little consequence what additional publicity may be attained ; while it is of very great importance both to myself and my numerous friends throughout the Province that I should not remain silent under a vile, untruthful and unmerited slander. “Without prejudice therefore to any legal proceedings which I may afterwards institute against the publishers of those libels, 1 think ir, necessary in the meantime to state the real facts of n ease which lias been grossly and wilfully misreprecented with the twofold object of injuring my character, as well as that of the journal with which 1 am connected.

The “quarrel” referred to was a very simple matter. Last Saturday 1 rode into Keatliorston and jitter transacting business ali day, on returning to Thompson's public house in (lie evening for tea. had the misfortune to come into contact with a partially intoxicated man who a-sailed me. 1 lined to restrain him, hut

| (lid him no injury. In the end he run ;n me | with a largo stone, and thinking I might receive serious injury, and that the contents of my haversack, including a large sum ui' money, might get. scattered about in a regular fight, 1 took out a revolver for my protection, and warned him not to molest me farther: This was clfoctual in preventing any tiinh-r hrcacli of the peace. On Monday morning the matter came b,Tose the Resident Magistrate. 1 inf ended charging him with assault; lie charged me with drawing a revolver. Before, however, the case was entered upon, the man, addressing the Magistrate said, “that he had given the information to the policeman at a moment when lie was intoxicated, and under a total misapprehension of how the matter really stood; that I had dime him no injury, and to the best of his belief i had intended him none, ‘and that having no proper grounds for making the charge against, me, Indesired to withdraw it."" The Magistrate then addressing me .-aid, “that after the prosecutor's .statement the case was at an end. According to it. there was no proper grounds for making Ihe charge. I was therefore discharged completely exonerated, my deposit of £5 and (he revolver being at once returned. Such Sir, being the real farts, J leave you to judge how much of the “Advertiser's" paragraph is true / It Rears internal evidence of having been concocted in their office on a foundation of loose gossip, and never, I firmly believe, was written in Feathcvston at all. Ii is false “ that I quarrelled with a settler " —he assailed and struck me : ii is false “ that I was overpowered ’■ —no person except, my assailant ever touched me; and above all, it is iiimiy false that I was either intoxicated or excited. Both the constable and the Clerk of ihe C.-nri can hear emphatic testimony that I was perfectly sober ami cool in my demeanour when they saw me, on Saturday night. Though not one person out of a hundred in the Wairavapa believes the slanders coiumned in the “Advertiser's" paragraph, and though on every hand ! receive assurances that my conduct was perfectly warranted, yet in jt.si.icc to myself and the paper which for five years 1 have conducted, I make this public ox-plav-'-.ion. During my visit Uere I have been tre , 1 with the utmost, kindiie-; and consideration by lire .settlers of the Wairarapa, ami 1 would not have even one of them think tiiat the person with whom they have transacted business with such creditable promptitude and liberality, could he capable of tin duct ascribed to him by an unscrupulous, a hostile, and mendacious journal. And, finally, I solemnly assert that the author of those slanders against me lias lied as foully and as falsely as any false witness can lie lie. fore Heaven and before Farlh. 1 am Sir, Very faith fully yniir's hexky andeusdn. Rising Sun, Grcytown, Feb. IStIT