HONOUR TO THE BRAVE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2474, 19 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

HONOUR TO THE BRAVE.

JunciK Williams, of Victoria, on sentencing some burglars marie the following among other observations: — In the dead of night, you, Kean, go to the man in charge of the premises with n loaded revolver and threaten to blow his brains out if he speaks or moves. The man, who was not of a strong and able physique, was at once cowed and remained

quiescent. Having achieved what you wanted you departed. A civilian, Alexander Middleton by name, happened to be passing this store at one in the morning, he noticed the lights go out, and he watches and sees you ooine out. Hβ proceeds at once, without hesitation, to intercept you and ask what you are doing there You ask what is that to him, and he proceeds to arrest all three. You take to yonr heels end run. He pursues you, aud comes up with yon. When you, Kean, turn round, and present a revolver at his head. He dodges, but continues the pursuit, and then you, Kean disoharge a loaded revolver point-blank at him. Fortunately for you and him you missed him. Ho oontinues tho pursuit, at last arrests one, and, with tho aid of two constables, arrests the other two. You endeavoured also to fiio off this revolver a second time. I mint hero state that

the admirable courage and the indomitable of this man Alexander Middleton in the pursuit of you three, and in the pursuit of such a dangerous man as yo.i, Ko,in, a pursuit persevered in at the risk of imminent personal peril to his own life and limbs, calls for and demands from me tho warmest and most genuine ej;pross}o.n of admiration. I only wish that there existed amongst us some Society analogous to the Royal Humane Society, which would r'ooognisq in the same way as tlioy recognised acts of bravery in rescuing from drowning, the merits, oliaraotor, and conduct of a man who not only assists the police in the execution of their duty, in the maintenance of peace and order, but who is instrumental in bringing offenders like yourself to justice. Ido not hesitate to say that had it not been for the conduct of Middluton none of you throe would probably have bueii brought to justice in the way you have been. Had it not been foy a piece of good fortune Middleton's have been sacrificed. Keau was sentenced to imprisonment for ten years with hard labour, tho first Uiroe days of every linmth of tho last twenty months to bo passed in solitary confinement, and to be throe times privately whipped with that best of all reformers, the oat-o'-niue-tails, with twelve lushes each time. It may be stated that Alexander Middletori's grandfather came out to Nelson in the Fifeshiro, unci that his father was at tho foolish but fatal affair at the Wairau.