THE PURLOINED LETTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3045, 3 November 1888, Page 2

THE PURLOINED LETTER.

MrW.H, BEETHAMINTEK VIEWED.

The Most Abominable Thing He

Ever Heard Of,

This morning a reporter from this oflico interviewed Mr W. 11, Beetham in order to clear up the mystery of the purloined letter. Mr Beetham expressed himself willing to bo placed in the witness box, and the following conversation took place Our ceportor: Do you remember, a certain private letter from Mr Moore to which reference has been recently made in the local papers ? Mr Beetham! Yes, perfectly well. I had it at a Road Board meeting. What mado you loave it on the tablo?

I left it on tho tablo by mistake. I distinctly romember having two letters at the same time from Mi Mooro. One was an official letter to the Board and the other a private one,

Did you consider tho ono which has been published a private letter?. Did 11 Of courso I did j I have a perfect recollection ol the lotter. I had the two in my pocket and they came in the ORe envelope. Was one an official letter ? Yes, as I said before it camo with tho private, ono,

What became of tho official letter ?

I must have laid down the private letter, instead of tho official one on the Board table, as I found'the official one in my pocket afterwards, Do yon think Mrß, R. Meredith ought to have read out this' private letter which was handed over to kirn by Mr Hogg at the Wlwoanm Road Board meeting ?

No. It was ono of tho most ungentlemanly and abominable things 1 over heard of, I cannot, see how such an action could havo tho sympathy of any rigkktniuded settler, Where is this letter now ? I suppose those who read it have got it.l have never seon.or heard of it since I missed it at the Boatd office, with the exception of seeing it in print the other day. Did you ever show it to auyono ? Certainly not 1 It was only intended for me alono I ; . Was the envelope containing the two lexers addressed to you as chairman of the Masterton Road Board 1 No. Tlio envelope w§s addressed to me privately, with tho official and private letter onclosed, tho, former of which I was asked to lay bofore the Board. Do you think tho Clerk was in any way responsible for tho privato lettor getting into Mr Hogg's hands ? Certainly riot! Sir -Wilsono is a geutloman who is above acting in such a moan and contemptible jjwnhorj