The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1884.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1051, 16 January 1884, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1884.

The Primitive Methodist Conference has filled up the vacancies in Geraldine and Waimate by the appointment of Henry Clarke and Robert Freeman, probationers, espectively, to those places.

The Rev. Father Yaugban has handed to the Secretary of the Wiamea Plains Railway Company the sum of L 22 10s, being the amount embezzled some years ago by a person whose name has not been disclosed.

The United Methodist Free Church Assembly met at Auckland yesterday. The Rev S. Macfarlane acted as representative of the Oonnexional Assembly in England. The Rev 0. Worboys was elected Chairman and the Rev E. O. Terry Secretary. Votes of thanks were passed to the Revs Taylor and Perry for their services as Chairman and Secretary for the past year. The Maori Creek murder case has occupied the Magistrate’s Court for the last two days at Greymouth. Over two dozen witnesses have been examined. The evidence was mostly circumstantial, but very strong of its kind. The demeanour of the prisoner throughout was very quiet and unmoved. He pleaded not guilty, and reserved his defence, He was committedjfor trial. A divorce case was on at the Auckland Supreme Court Civil Sittings list, but the hearing did not eventuate. The petitioner was William Swanson, a clerk in the Native Lands Office. He sought a decree for the dissolution of his marriage on the ground of his wife having commuted adultery with Pirripi Wirihu, at Kopuru, in March last. The necessary evidence and documents not being before the Court the case could not be taken.

At the meeting of the Primitive Methodist Conference held in Dunedin, it was resolved that in view of Methodist Union, as few changes of ministers as possible take place this year. The proposal to remove the Rev. J. Nixon from Ashburton was discussed at the afternoon sitting, and it was finally carried that he temain a fourth year. It is understood that a grant will be made to help the Ashburton station in its financial difficulties.

The wrestling match, Hudson v. Dinnie, came off last night in the Queen’s Treatre, Dunedin. Hudson threw Dinnie in the Border style twice, and Dinnie threw Hudson j twice in the Scotch style In the style called the Huggio, or ancient Cumberland, Hudson threw Dinnie twice out of three. In the Greco-Roman style, Dinnie threw Hudson very heavily, and hurt him so severely that he was unable to continue, and it was arranged that the match stand over till to-night, when the stakes will be doubled. The directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company have accepted tenders in England for 6,000 tons of 531 b steel rails, and the first instalment of 350 tons are on board the Aorangi. Five engines, of special design, and a complete equipment of rolling stock for the railway, have also been contracted for. The passenger cars are being imported from America, and will be about 38ft in length, and similar to those in use on the Southern railways. Some of the waggons required will be manufactured in the colony-

An inquest was held at the Wellington Lunatic Asylum on the body of a patient named William Dryden, who met with his death under somewhat peculiar circumstances. Be was taken to the bathroom for the purpose of having a bath. The warder turned on the hot water, and while his back was turned Dryden jumped into it. Before he was taken out ho was so badly scalded that his death ensued. The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental Death,” and added the following rider attendant ought in future to be responsible for strictly carrying out the bathing rules. ”

These old people whose blood has become thin and steps feeble are praising Hop Bitters for the good they have done them. See.— [Advt.] Mother Swan’s worm Syrup. —lnfallible, tasteless, harmless, cathartic ; for feverishness, restlessness, worms, constipation, is. Moses, Moss and Co., Sydney, General Agents, 3 “ German Syrup.” —No other medicine in the world was ever given such a test of its curative qualities as Boschec’s German Syrup. In three years two million four hundred thousand small bottles of this medicine were distributed free of charge by Druggists in the United States of America to those afflicted with Consumption, Asfhma, Crojjn, severe Coughs, Pneumonia and other diseases of the throat and lungs, giving the afflicted undeniable proof that German Syrup wilf c\tre them. The result has been that Druggists jn every town and village in civilised countries are recommending it to their customers. .Go to yo«r Druggist and ask what they know about in. Sample Bottles 6d. Regular size 3s. 6d. Three doses will relieve any case.—[Advi’.J

A programme of an unusually intoress ing |nalure has been prepared for the monthly meeting of the Wedeyan Temperance Society to he held in the Cameron street Church As will be seen by announcement in another place, the proceedings are open to the public, and no charge is made for admission. A man named Edward Kemp was brought before the Court this morning charged with fce'ng drunk and dis rderly, and a fine of 20s was inflicted with the alternative of three days’ imprisonment. On a further charge of having resisted Constable Smart the same man was ordered to pay 20s or go to prison for four days. The adjourned sitting of the Ashburton District Licensing Committee was held yesterday for the purpose of considering the advisability of granting licenses to the Wheatsheaf and Waterton Hotels. Mr Caygill appeared on behalf of Mr Mager, landlord of the Waterton Hotel. A letter was read from the Minister of Justice, stating that the Governor would be advised to validate the action of the Committee, should the latter decide to grant the licenses- After discussion the Committee decided to grant the licenses in both instances, and also to write to the County Council advising that body to re mit one-third of the license fee in consideration of the short time that would elapse between now and the annual meeting. A singular case was heard at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday. A laboring man named John Collier was charged with failing to support his wife and five young children. A plea of “Not Guilty” was recorded The prosecutrix, who appeared in Court with her face bandaged and with a young child in her arms, told a most wonderful tale to his Worship. She declined to recognise the accused as her husband, although the man asserted that he was married to her at Christchurch eleven years ago. In the course of her evidence the woman said she had not seen her husband for some time. Defendant was something like the man to whom she was married, but she was positive that he was not her husband. Collier, she said, did not posess any marks on his body like those possessed by the defendant, and in other respects there was no resemblance. His handwriting, for instance, was quite different, and the letters which he sent were like those of a man who was courting. Her husband was an affectionate man, but he never committed himself in that manner. And she was convinced that the letters were not those of the person whom she had married. In reply to questions from the Bench, Mr Collier admitted that she was now cohabiting with accused, but denied that she regarded him as her husband. Accused xplained to the Court that the woman was his wife, and expressed his willingness to look after her and her children. .Sergeant Anderson stated that shortly after the arrival of the woman from tho South she was examined by two doctors, only one of whom pronounced her insane, and she was accordingly allowed to ba at large. In dismissing the information, Mr Warded remarked that the case was one of the most wonderful he had ever heard.