CUT OUT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 81, 14 November 1874, Page 11

CUT OUT.

(l?E0M JOHN MITCHEI'S 'JAIL JOTTENAL.')

One main feature in convict life I have ascertained to be a deep and heartfelt respect for atrocious villainy — respect the more profound as the villainy is more outrageous. If anything can add to the esteem which a man in the felon-world secures by the reckless "brutality of his language and manners, the extent of his present thievings, and ingenuity of his daily lyings, it is the enormity of the original offence for which he is supposed to be suffering. Several instances of this fact, which hare been told me since I came on board the Neptune, remind me of a whimsical illustration of the same which I saw last year, while I passed a few clays' in the Tenedos, hospital ship. On my arrival there I had hardly been left alone in my cabin before a convict softly entered. He was servant to the assistant-surgeon, and came with a pine apple which his master had sent me. The man -was about fifty years of age, but very stout and active-looking, and highly consequential in his manner, as it soon turned out he had a good right to be — " I trust, sir," said he, " you will find every thing as you wish here — if I can do anything for you I'm sure I shall be most happy— l'm Garrett." "Well Garrett?" quoth I. Garrett, sir, Garrett ; you must know all aboxit me ; it was in all the papers ; Garrett, you know." " Never heard of you before Garrett." Oh ! deal-, yes sir, you must be quite well aware of it — the great railway affair you remember." "NoI do not." "Oh ! then lam Mr Garrett who was connected with the railway. (I forget the name of the railway)'. It was a matter of £40,000 1 realised. Forty thousand pounds, sir — left it behind me, sir, with Mrs G-arrett ; she is living in England in very handsome style. I have been here now two years and I like it very well — I am very highly thought of — created a great sensation when I came here. In fact, until you came I was reckoned the first man in the colony. Forty thousand pounds, sir — not a farthing less. But now you have cut me out." I rose and "bowed to this sublime rascal. The overwhelming idea — that I should supersede a swindler of forty thousand-pounds-power was too much for me. So I said, graciously bowing, " Oh, sir you do me too much honor : I am sure you are far more worthy the post of distinction. For me, I never saw so much money in all my life as forty thousand pounds." My dear sir," said my friend, bowing back again — " My dear sir ! but then you are a prisoner of State, patriotic martyr, and all that. Indeed, for my part, my little affair was made a concern of State too. Lord John Russell, since I came out here, had a private application made to me, offering to remit my whole sentence if I would disclose my method — tlio way I had done it, you know ; they want to guard against similar things on other lines, you understand." I trust, sir, quoth I, respectfully, " you treated the man's application with the contempt it deserved." The miscreant winked with one eye. I tried to wink, but failing, bowed again. " You may "be sure of that, sir," said ho — " 'tis very little I care for any of them : I enjoy myself here very much — have never had a day's illness — very often go across to the nearest island to look after Dr. Beck's ducks ; then I sometimes correspond with the newspapers — have a private way of getting anything I please sent out without these people knowing anything about it" should be most happy to have any document sent for you in a quiet way, you know — of course you will want to show up those rascals now and then." "No, Garrett," said I, getting tired — " there, that will do you may leave the room." The old monster looked a little blank but walked off at once, and as I requested to be protected from such intrusion for the future, Dr. Hall took order with him, and I saw him no more.