A Cruel Deception.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 266, 28 February 1889, Page 3

A Cruel Deception.

(Southern correspondent.) The portentous question, "Is Marriage a Failure f" has been exercising the minds of many writers of late, and the affirmative and negative have each found champions, probably every man and woman who has entered th- marriage state has answered- the question ac ording to his or her personal experience, and doubtless in the great majority of cases where marriage is pronounced a failure that un satisfactory re.-ult may be traced to want of wit or wisdom on the part of p-rsons concerned in the case of ill-ussoite I matches or marriage ruled by selfish or mereenaiy considerations. It is merely a matter of time when the verdict is passed “ Marriage is a failure.” The train of thought is suggested by a story that reaches me from a most reliable source, in which one at least of the persons immediately concerned has good reasons to answer in the affirmative the question opening this writing. For various reasons I suppress names, and as briefly as possible proceed to relate what I conceive to be one of the most cruel cases of deception that h»s ever come under my notice. A certain individual who has resided on the goldfields for the past quarter of a century, and who is nearly approaching old age, corresponded with a I idy in the Home country, and who is cons.derablv his junior, with a view of matrimo ly. Ido not know what inducements were held out fey the aged deceiver to cause the lady to leave her home and kin ired and join hei fortunes with his, but. anyhow, she decided to do so, and came to New Zealand by direr sbamer. Here she was met by her intended wbo in appearance presented a man well-to-do circumstances, although as a matter of fact he had for years been living "from hand to mouth.” In due course the

couple were made one, and took up their quarters in one ot the otyhoele; here they feed to the full all the comforts that could the husband assuring the host, had known him for many years and was well acquainted with his former impecunio-iry, that his bride enjoyed a nice yearly income, and that the hotel bill would be paid to the utmost farthing. IruHed into confidence by this and other plausible tales, some three months passed and yet no money was forthcoming. One day the boniface incidentally heard something that led him to think that things were not what they seemed, and he spoke peremptorily to the husband about a settlement of accounts. A. promise was given to pay a portion ot what was due, but this, like previous similar tales, was convenient y forgotten. Patience exhausted, the landlord determined to lay the case before the newly-made wife, and accordingly did so. She professed herself scandalised that the bill and not been paid regularly. When informed of the whole circumstances, the unfortunate woman was aghast at the position in which she found herself—in a strange land amongst strangers, and the victim of what has all the semblance of a cruel scheme to wed a woman merely in the hope that she might supply means to enable the perfidious husband either to live in idleness or get a start in life as he might choose, under the de usion that her husband was comfortably off, as he represented. money the lady brought With her was expended in the purchase of various articles which might have Very well been done without had she for a moment suspected the true position of things. Ac the end of a brief three months of ignorant bliss tbe victim found herself without means and wedded ’o a man utterly impecunious both in purse and princip e. Of course, there was a ! scene,” in which the craven husband cut a very poor figure indeed, as he had to listen to thp bitter re Criminations of his cruelly deceived partnei and the outspoken opinion h id of him hy the indignant h-st and hostess. Among other misleading stones the ancient humbug had concocted waa that he had taken a p secant home in the suburbs which ho was hav Ing ntoely furnished; but investigation showed that, while a small house had been B nted, the furniture only existed in imagl nation. He also professed to be negotiating for the sale of hts “ estate ” in the Interior ; the said - estate of a mstter of fact consisting Of a bat and a potato patch. When tbe true position Was hr- ught before the unhappy woman, she fairly broke down on finding bow she bad been duped and betrayed, and there is not much doubt that »s soon as she can communicate with her friends at Home she prill return there, taking with her a sad and sorrowfol recollection of her colonial experience, As for the fellow who h>e brought this sore suffering on a helpless woman, I can only regret that he u not amenable to the law, so that adequate punishment might follow bis outrageous conduct. However, if he is troubled with any conscience at all, it to to be hoped that its priswgq will be so S4MP wad wntinuous si to liave him no tether fceaee erf mind thia Me of the grave.

HARBOR BOARD. An ordinary meeting of the above took place on Tuesday night. Present: The Chairman and Messrs Townley, Bennett, Shelton, and Matthewson. CORRESPONDENCE. MrDeLantour.the Board’s solicitor, gave an elaborate review of the Engineer’s connection with the Board ; his opinion was that the engagement was terminable at the end of any year upon six months’ notice first given within that year. At a later stage the Board went into Committee to consider the matter, when the report of the Committee recently appointed to ascertain the position of the Board’s officers was adopted, wilh the following amendment, “ That six months’ notice to the Engineer be altered to four months.” There was some correspondence with the Public Trustee as to the accounts. It was reselved to make application to the Government under sect'on 9 of the Harbors Act, 1888, to direct the Public Trustee to pay the Board the interest coming due on fixed deposits, to pay interest to bondholders, due May Ist next. The Trustee applied for the sum of £4165 18s 4d, which he states is due after making all deductions from the £200,000

Mr Bennelt said they had no power to take this money out of the £lO,OOO. If they had not the £lO,OOO what would they have done? Mr Townley : Have to pay it ourselves.

Mr Bennett : Well, I was not one of you, so it is all right. (Laughter.) Mr Townley considered the action of the Trustee was presumption. It was resolved that the Finance Committee attend to the matter and draft a reply. Mr Crawford wrote referring the attention of the Board to the wharf tariff on beer sent coastwise, and the matter was referred to the Tariff Committee. The Board resolved to give their support to the proposition of the Oamaru Borough Council, to try and ;et a Bill passed to consolidate all tne loans of the colony. engineer’s bepoht. The Engineer reported : — We have finished 610 feet of conore e break water and almost completed the formation for the next section. It will be nece.-arv to call tenders for a cargo of coals, abou 60 to 80 tons, tenders to be in by Monday net . Tenders were received to-day for s one e yp , side lip waggons, horse hire, an! wheels and axles. Regarding the stone tender wo have received on an average 713 tons par for night. This’quantity, taking into account the prices for different sizes ol stone according to ten dere comes out as follows: MoLoughii >. £54; Knox, £7l; McLeod, £B9: Hungerford, £9B; Engineer’s estima • , £106; presen :rice, £B9. As this is an important contract

i cannot recommend that the lowest tender be accepted. The waggons and wheels an I axles are at a fair price. As to the horse hire 1 we will require on an average a nun ami horse t»o days, and a man and two horses on- day Gn this basis the average price per d .y of the tenders would be, J. Mullane, 10 4J I per day; llolemsn, 10s Grady, Ils 101; Mclntosh, 12s; Patterson, 12- 81. Hoe again the lowest price is too cheap to get proper horses. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The Committee reported : — The Committee have received the following tenders: — Stone.-—Hungerford and McKay, 2< 96, 2s 76, 2s 9d, Is 60; P. McLoughlin, 2s 6 i, Is 56, Is sd, 2s; B. Knox, 3s 11J6, 2-2|d, Is 711. Is 61, Is 61; D. McLeod, 4s 6d, 2s 56, 2s 31, Is 31, Is 8 1. Wheels ano Axles. —G. Humphreys, £l3; Same, £ll 10s; Brown and Smaill, £l3 10 J . Waggons—G Humphreys, £153; Brown and Smaill, £139 10 J . Horse Hire.—J. Mclntosh, Is 4d, Is lOd, 2s 56: H. Patterson, la 54. Is lid ; S. Doleman. is 3d, 46, Is 7d ; J. Grady, Is 3fd, 66, Is 9jd ; J. Mullane, Is 2}d, 244. The Committee recommended that the following tenders be accepted:— Stone, P McLoughlin ; wheels and axles, G. Humphreys ; waggons, Brown and Smaill. The horse hire tender was left to the Board to decide. Mr Bennett, referring to the stone contract, could not see the slightest reason for the lowest tender not being accepted when nothing could be said against the tenderer. In reply to Mr Shelton, the Engineer said he had nothing to say against Mr McLoughlin, but he considered the work would not pay him at the price. Tn reply to Mr Bennett the Engineer said he would prefer Mr McLoughlin next to Mr McLeod He had no personal feeling in the matter. Mr ''ievwright generally believed in the principle of accepting the lowest tender, but he did not think they should ask or expect men to do work for less than it cou'd be done, as the Engineer said in this ease it could not. He feared Mr Molxiughlin would go on satisfactorily until he had cleared the beach and had to go to the island, when he would find th" work too much. They would then onlv have £l5O in hand to meet an abandonment, and it would coat them far more to get the work in swing again. He did not think they should touoh the ground as to whether a man could or could not carry out a contract—they might to consider whether it would fairly pay him or not. They did net wish to sacrifice anyone who might have made a blunder. Mr Mel oughlin was a responsible man who had given satisfaction, and probably on that account his tender might be accepted, but he did not think the Board should make a gain at other people’s loss. Mr Bennett said the only way to fairly meet the case according to Mr Sievwright’s argument was to rise the price to what was considered fair—they should not sacrifice the lowest : tenderer and give it to a person much ; higher. Mr Shelton moved the adoption of i the clause of the report with regard i to the stone ctipply. He thought the lowest tender for supplying stone was I two high—as compared with what was J done in Westport the tenderer ought > to have a very good thing in hand ’ As to Mr Sievwright’e argument that [ McLoughlin would abandon his con- , trapt when he had got to the difficult i portion the same would apply to the I others, with the difference that with • the next highest tenderer there would [ be about £3OO in hand instead of , £l5O, but the contractor would have t made a far higher profit in what he had * done. Mr McLoughlin, the Engineer , said, had always given satisfaction; he , was a man of means and of good . repute, and he did not see why there

I should be any hesitation in accepling his tender. The Board, even if it . thought so, should not go to tenderers complaining it was getting work done too cheaply. Mr Bennett seconded and the motion was carried unanimously. Mr Humphreys’ tender was accepted for wheels and axles and Messrs Brown and Stnaill’s for the waggons. Mr Mui lane’s tender was accepted for horsework. It was resolved to call for tenders for a supply of coal, ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed as follows :—

£6,040 22 There were seme sharp words beween Mr Bennett and the Engineer, as to whether the latter should have authority to order articles over the value of £5, and Mr Bennett eventually gave notice of motion that no purchases be made of the value of more than £5 without the authority of the Board, except on emergency.

Sinking Fund .. 463 0 0 Interest on Loan 5106 9 5 Rent of Water Spring.. 6 10 0 Secretary .. 8 6 8 Wharfinger 16 13 4 Harbormaster .. 16 13 4 Weighbridge keeper .. 1 0 0 Standard Company 3 5 6 Wingate, Burns and Co. 30 6 0 D. McLeod 103 18 6 Brown and Smaill 40 0 9 J. Grady 8 4 0 Wages 235 13 11