A PERVERTED PRESS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1380, 7 May 1881, Page 3

A PERVERTED PRESS.

Tiik Auckland correspondent of the S. A. Jiri/istn- write* :— "l think I have in a previous letter referred to what is known in journalism as ' Society Paper-,' and the mischief and mibeiy they ciu>e m families and domestic lircles. I regret to say these publications contmue to increase and multiply. But my regict has been ciualified by a beautiful hight— a cheering, lioait-btirring t-ight — which I witnessed only tin co nights since. One of these editors had piinted a niobt scumlous article on a maraud man, quite as untiuc as it was scurrilous. It caused gieat p.un to the gentleman s-o scandalised, and I .tin .-ure would inflict a seme wound when Ins wife and family camo to read it. as it is certain they •would. The availed and insulted husband and father did not buy a horsewhip, er procure a revolver, nor a ro2)e's end nor anything of the kind. He waited Ins opportunity until he met the editor m a public 100m — the editor foreseeing trouble, c.vnyint,' in his hand a knobheaded .stick. There were some forty persons present at the time. The gentleman who had been vili* ed quietly "walked up to the editor, and asked him if he were ready to apologise for what he had allowed to appear in his paper The editor refused. 'Then,' said the injured man, 'take that,' and the editor, uo/a/s volcni, had to tauc a veiy smart openhanded slap on the face. The editor lifted his stick to strike when it was wrenched fiom his hand and thioiwi to tlio far end of the room. Then with clenched fist the editor received a blow on one eye, two, or three blows on the face, half a do/en or so in the ribs, and ever so many more in sundry places, and none of the places anywhere -n particular, The libeller cried tor mercy, cried for the man to be taken off him, cried for help ; but he got no mercy ; no one took off the assailant, and no one went to his help. Forty persons looked on, and all with one and the same feeling, said it served the fellow right. There was, of course, a police coiut case. The defendant appealed, pleaded guilty, said he was not at all sorry ; and would do the same again if the libel was repeated ; was sorry, in fact, he had not given the plaintiff more than he had got. The magistrate expa- \ tiated upon the enormity of the offence. There was no excuse for a man taking the law into his own hands ; such a thing could not be tolerated ; the majesty of the Jaw must be upheld ; how dare any man, in the presence of forty other men, be guilty of what was in vulgar parlance, termed ' punching of heads ?' The offence must be stopped . He should therefore sentence the defendant to . And here the people in the Court held their breath, for, fiom the magistrate 'a manner, it was thought the defendant would, at least, receive three months' imprisonment, with hard labor. He should, therefore, sentence the defendant to pay a fine of 405., and he would advino the plaintifl for the future to avoid publi-hin^ blackguard, scurrilous articles in his newspaper. Those in Court would not allow the defendant txf (j#y tDe nne - They paid it for him, and would have paid the penalty had it been £40 in-tead of 40s. The editor deol&rfld he wonld make it hot for the defendant and magistrate, but he was warned that before he did this he should provide himself with, a spare Bet of ribs. And the editor's next issue came out with 'never one word against the magistrate's decision, or the defendant's power for inflicting punishment."

The liingwxls are playing "Stolen Kisses" 'W S** Francisco to crowded' houses,