Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-30
Romantic Story of Aged
Victim of Injustice
Ience of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star
81 LONDON, July 10, 1906
victims or injustice are many, but few OF
them have such romantic history as John
W. Burt. little white bearded old man
who sells newspapers, boot laces and
matches for living, sleeps in one of the
London county councils cheap lodging
houses and feeds sumptuously three times
day at the Hotel Cecil one of Iondon's
most luxurious caravansaries. 1t is prob-
aply due to the fact that the requirements
OF ms inner man are so abundantly salts
ned that Burt, despite his eighty-five years.
endures his lot with patient resignation and
sarguinely awaits the day when his
wrongs will be righted and he will be re-
stored again to affiuence
1t is to Premier Dick" Seldom of New
Zealand that the old man is indebted for
this strange tempering of the wind to the
shorn lamb. The picturesque colonial states-
man possesses the virtue of never forget
ting an old friend He and Burt were
pals at the Ballarat gold diggings in
Australia long years ago. and for two years
shared all the hardships and luck that
came their way. Then they parted COM
pany and did not meet again until they ac-
cidentally ran across each other in London
a few years ago.
Burt was then having hard time of ir
TO Keep himself out of the poor house and
Seldom was being feted everywhere as one
of the apostles of imperial unity That
MADE no difference to the big-hearted prem
Ter. he broke an engagement with titled
nabob that he and the old man might dine
together at the Cecil. And when he re-
turned to New Zealand he left directions
with the proprietor that Burt should be all
lowed to take what meals he pleased there.
The bills are settled by Seldom
1t was trumpery dispute about a watch
that was the source of all the misfortune
that has logged Burt's footsteps for the
last seventeen years. For some time after
he and Seldom dissolved their gofd-pros-
pectng partnership he prospered and ac.
quired valuable farm in Tasmania. One
day he sent a gold watch to a matchmaker
in Fingal to be repaired. But the watch
that was returned to him was another
watch and of inferior quality, according to
Burts story. The matter was then taken
into court. There the magistrates urged
Burt to accept judgment of nonsuit and
In the presence Of witness return the
watch to the matchmaker and then sue
again TO recover his own.
Burt acted on their advice. He was
slugged for his pains by the matchmaker
and was laid up for several weeks in con-
sequence. Then he sued the matchmaker
for assault, claiming heavy damages. When
the case came up for trial it was discovered
that instead of a judgment of nonsuit YER
dict had been entered against Burt. In
view of this the court dismissed his claim
with costs amounting to over $1,000
Since then Burt's life has been one long
That wrong verdict had been entered was
admitted, but, the legal authorities of
Tasmania interpreted the law, there was no
way by which the wheels of justice could
be revoved backwards and the wrong YER
rict changed into right one. The watch
maker had a big political pull and that was
exerted against Burt to the utmost In the
fight Burts farm was gobbled up by the
lawyers and his means utterly exhausted
Finally the attorney general OF the colony
declared that the wrong verdict could be
eX plunged and the right verdict substituted
for 1t only through a special act Of the i'm
perial parliament and the royal assent
thereto.
Public feeling in behalf of the old man
who had been beggared in his efforts to OBJ
tain Justice was strongly aroused in Tas-
mania. fund was raised to enable him
to come to England and prosecute his claim
here He arrived in 1899 He appealed to
Queen Victoria, to the privy council, to the
house of lords and to King Edward and
the only result has been an accumulation
OF documentary evidence that would near
ly fill furniture van. The wrong verdict
still stands against him. No compensation
for fortune dissipateG In striving 10 get
IT set right has been awarded him.
But sustained by the bountiful fare pro-
viIed for him through Seddons generosity
the old man still continues his gallant fight
against legal red tape and circumlocution.
He declares that he will not return to Tas-
mania until he has obtained decision one
way or the other. The chances are that he
Will be Dead and probably buried in .
paupers grave before II 10 reached