COTTON, ALIAS ROGERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1796, 10 January 1884, Page 2

COTTON, ALIAS ROGERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Siu, — For the comfort of your correspondent, whose religious susceptibilities appealed to be greatly shocked at the treatment said to be received by the above individual, I hasten to assure him that thei c is no truth in the statement made by the Hamilton conespondent of the Herald, viz., that Cotton was recognised by the Rev. W. Slade at Kawhia, and compelled to leave. Nor is it tiue that I gave him m charge at Hamilton. Sergeant McGovern expressed his 1 egret to me about a week ago that he had not seen him dm ing his previous visit to Hamilton, and on his second appearance I simply gave him an opportunity of interviewing him. Had I been disposed to have peiaecuted him, I should have taken advantage of the Vaglancy Act when he was identified as the notorious "lingers," instead of advising him to quietly leave the neighbourhood, and alter his iniquitous course. It was not until Bishop Luck had disavowed all knowledge of him, and declaied thrt in his opinion he was an imposter, it was not until he was. identified as "Rogers," and in numeious other wa3'.s was proved to me to be thoi oughly insincere, that I called upon him to lea\e my house, where, for nine days, he had been treated as a brother. Yoiu chaiitable couespondent should lemember that the religion of Christ is " Hist pure, then peaceable, " and that He whom we call " Master and Lord" launched the bitterest invective against all hypocritical shams. You will oblige by inserting the above, as I wish the public to know the facts of the cat-e before I leave for the South. — lain, «&c,

John Dukes.