CHRISTCHURCH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3074, 4 May 1881, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

May 4. Mr Whiteford, R.M., gave judgement this morning in the totalisator case. His Worship said the bench were against the defendants in that the former held the racecourse to be a public place within the meaning of the Act. He considered, however, that it would be straining the provisions of the Act to pronounce the totalisator an illegal machine for the purposes of belting. The totalisator might be looked upon as merely a recording machine or a large open betting-book, which all persons could use, and after each race the whole of the money invested was paid back, less a per centage deducted for the services of tLe proprietors of the machine. The case would, therefore, be dismissed. The solicitor for the prosecution gave notice of appeal. Messrs Petersen and Co., of High-street, have just manufactured a magnificent silver cup, intended for piesentation by the Armed Constabulary of the North Island to Colonel Whitmore. The cup stands twenty-two inches high, and is the finest specimen ever made here.

There are now 124 schools in the North Canterbury district, besides the normal school, employing 400 teachers and 30 sewing mistressee. The children on the roll at the end of the March quarter numbered 16,406, the average attendance being 11,978. Two lads named Ellis and Campbell were out shooting on Monday near Bottle Lake. The latter was walking ahead when Ellis's gun exploded, and shot the other lad through the left side and arm. He was taken to the hospital and now lies in a precarious state.

A most daring burglary was perpetrated on Monday night in the shop of Mr 0. Hooper, watchmaker and jeweller, whose premises are situated next to the Bank of Australasia in Cashel-street. When Mr Hooper came down to open

his shop this morning he found the doors open. The side door leading into the right-of-way had evidently been burst open by the application of strong force from the outside, and on entering the shop he found tbat the greater portion of his stock of watches and jewellery had been taken away. The lock of a secret door leading from the back room to the shop had been taken off. The slides separating the window from the shop had been opened, and all the articles of -value in the window removed. The thieves had ; evidently been disturbed in their work, as a number of articles of jewellery, watch-chains, lockets, &c, were found in a piece of paper on the counter, though they had evidently been collected together in order to be taken away. The robbery must have occurred between 6.30 on Monday evening and five a.m. yesterday. Mr Hooper locked np tho shop and left everything secure at the former hour, and the jeweller who works in a room over the shop came down to work shortly after five o'clock yesterday morning, and found the door leading from the back room into the right-of-way open. He thought that perhaps Mr Hooper had been before him and had left the door open, and consequently went upstairs to his work without taking any further notice of the circumstances. Mr Hooper's loss is very heavy—at a rough guese over £600—a8 he received a large number of diamond rings and lockets, as well as other valuable articles, a few ago. The police were at once communicated with, and are now making every effort to trace the perpetrators of the robbery.