AUSTRALIA

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 94, 12 June 1877, Page 3

AUSTRALIA

Melbourne, June 8. Arrived—Albion ; sailed—Tararua, for Sydney.

INT ERPEOTINOIAL TELEGRAMS. (Per Press Agency.) Auckland June, 9. Manuel de Fatty, arrested on a charge of breach of the Customs Distillation Act by having an illicit still on Great Barrier Island, was remanded until Tuesday, bail being accepted, himself in £500, ond two sureties in £250 each. David King, Hugh M'Kenzie, Duncan M'Kenzie, charged with rape, were committed for triabaill being refused. Wellington, June 8. ' It is gazetted that the presenter of a telegram marked "urgent," by paying double rates, shall have priority of transmission over all others on and after July 1. DuNBDiN, June 8. A false alarm of fire was raised at the Princess Theatre last night during an amateur performance. Many people quitted the building in an excited manner. No one was hurt. Walker gave a semi-private seance last night, and will give a public lecture on Wednesday. June, 9. Miss Black, who was injured by the accident at Messrs Kirkpatrick Gleddinning and Co.'s, on Thursday, is dangerously ill. Miss Galleyis not seriously hurt.

(from times own correspondent) Auckland, June 8. The charge of ravishing an old woman of 70 years at Howick was partly heard to-day at the Police Court against three men named David King, Hugh M'Kenzie and Duncan M'Kenzie. iSome of them, if not all three, are likely to be committed for trial. It is reported that Lord Harvey Phipps has just received a telegram to hold himself in readiness to join his regiment on foreign service. It is expected that the contingent is for the occupation of Constantinople. June 9. At an early hour this morning the Customs' steam launch returned,. after several days'search amongst the islands in the Hauraki Gulf for distilling apparatus. She has visited the Great Barrier Island, Cape Colville ,Peninsula Mercury Island, Arid-'lsland, W P bags of sugar, a boiler, and others dis-

tilling apparatus were found on Arid Island, but not the worm though a careful survey was made there From information received it is believed that the still has been in operation since Christmas, producing a quarter cask of rum per week. The customers were principally amongst the Maoris, and the selling price was 14s per gallon, information was given by one who was to be a partner, but who was badly treated by his principal, and two Portuguese. The witnesses will be, the informant, a woman, and another Portuguese. The latter is concerned in the manufacture. The weather is threatening, and there isilikely to be another storm. Dunedin, June 8. There was a panic of fire at the Princess Theatre last night. Towards the close of the burlesque some foolish person, misled by a trial in the wings of the blue fire necessary to a proper realisation of the final scene, raised an alarm of fire, which had the eftect of causing a stampede on the part of many persons, whose wits seemed to have deserted them. The assurances of those on the stage that there was no cause for the slightest fear, were for a short time utterly disregarded, and in the stalls there was a most inconsiderate rush for the doors. Upstairs some fainted; but there was no difficulty experienced in leaving the house by those who desired to get out. As soon as the alarm was given some persons, aware of that means of escape, pressed against the doors marked " fire-escape," leading from the back of the pit into Highstreet, which immediately opened, and the majority of those who left the pit and stalls found easy means of egress by this way. In about five minutes order was restored, and the burlesque proceeded with. Thomas Walker, the " Trance-medium" made his second private appearance in Dunedin last evening at the Oddfellows' Hall. There was a numerous audience, including a large number of ladies, and the medium was attentively listened to throughout his discourse, though one or two people left the hall during its delivery, and one excited individual, at its conclusion, loudly expressed the opinion that Walker was a " fraud." Walker speaks rapidly and fluently, but has a sing-song delivery, varied, when he wishes to make a point, by an inflection of the voice, after the style of the conventional stage villain. Believers in spiritualism were evidently in a large majority, and they backed the medium up with applause on every possible occasion. When some of the audience at the conclusion of the lecture, asked the medium questions, no matter what Walker answered the stamping of feet and clapping of hands was great, as much as to say that the medium had completely confounded the sceptics, instead j of the replies being either mere evasions or else such utter nonsenee as, that in the next world musicians will congregate j together and continue their occupations ; that policemen, instead of having a cessation from their wearisome duties, will be massed in one enormous posse ; and that doctors will continue to operate upon patients, who, although it was previously stated that they would leave their physical bodies on this earth, are apparently, to take their diseases, deformities, or wounds into spirit.land.