Page 2 Advertisements Column 5

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2282, 24 February 1887, Page 2

I AIIVKUTISKMBNT.] THE LATE MR PETER COLEMAN OF HAMILTON. A VINDICATION. Mk Petjcr Coleman, who died in 1883, was an old Hamilton settler, and several of his sons and daughters are residents in Waikato. Some few years atro ten or a dozen copies of tbu drawing of a genealogical tree were circulated in Hamilton and neighbourhood. At the root of the tree was the na-ne of "Peter Coleman, convict," and the various branches of the tree represented his several suns and daughters and their otfepyiug, the names mid all the lettering being formed of letters or words cut out pf printed matter and itasted on in place-, of writing, thus rendering detection impossible. The family and their .connections, some of the most respectable residents in Waikato, have had to sit quietly under this-fonl indignity for years, until. Miss Isabella M. Coleman, a teacher under the Auckland: Education

Board, during a recent visit to Sydney, waited on Sir Alfred Stephen and the Hon. J. Stewart, laid the matter before them, and received the following letters and document which are now published in. : vindication of the characters of the late Mr and Mrs Peter Coleman. These documents the orignals of which may be seen at the office of this paper speak for.themselves:— Miss I. M. Coleman. •■• . • .-,., Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand. Dear Miss Coleman,—Herewith I send you ; a note which I have just received from Sir Alfred Stephen, our Lieutenant-Gover-nor. From what Sir Alfred says,:'you will see that the nameless scoundrel had not any foundation whatever for his vile insinuation. During many years while I was in Illawarra, your father, mother, and tamily were my nearest neighbours, and rented a farm from me, paying, if I remember rightly, £ISO per yeari They always bore an unblemished character, and I never heard a word against their previous history. In all his engagements with me,-your father was an.upright and honourable man, while your mother was a woman who laboured hard and continually to bring up-her family respectably.—Yours, very truly, r John Stewart, Kennington, Summer Hill, New South Bth January, 1887. College-street, 3rd January, 1887. Dear Mr Stewart,—l have seen Miss Coleman, and she showed me the abominable anonymous writing, with which some cowardly, ruffian has been endeavouring to annoy her. Such efforts are the lowest attempts at insult to which miscreants resort, and the young lady should despise them. As to the fact, for which Miss Coleman appeals to me, I have no doubt whatever that she is right. I bslieve that her [ father was my tipstaff—certainly not my nervant, and I am sure that if he had ever been a prisoner he would not have occupied that position in the Supreme Court, and as he was your tenant afterwards with a high character, Miss Colenjan may make her mind easy on that score.—Yours very truly, _, „ T , „ Alfred Stephjin. The Hon. John Stewart, Esq., M.L C I write to you, as I do not know Miss Coleman's address. Will you be good enough to send this note to her. Immigntion Office, Sydney, 3lst. December,A3B6, I certify that Peter and Alice Coleihan arrived in the ship "Emerald Isle," on 23rd December, 1841. Extract from official report of arrival of "Emerald Islo. Ship, "Emerald Isle;" Master, Jaffrey Sceales; from Plymouth; arrived 23rd December, 1841 Amongst the iminißrantn' names appear the following :—Peter Coleman, age 20, native of Dundalk, Ireland i religion, Roman Catholic. Alice Coleman, (wife of Peter Coloman), age 22, native of Grenard, County, Longford; parents " ame3 ., William and Jane Joliubod; religion, Episcopalian. George B. Wise, ■ ■ Agent for Immigration.

, In Court—" What pretext did yp\ft,husband have for beating you?" "It wasn't a pretext, your honoru, it was a club."-< Burlington Free Press