CHRISTCHURCH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3518, 17 October 1882, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

October 17.

Tbe first of the divorce cases heard yesterday in the Supreme Court was that of Jamieson v. Jamieson. There was no respondent, the petitioner having obtained a Judge's order dispensing with one. The parties are in humble life, Jarrieson being a carter at South Malvern. He married a girl 16 years old pome years ago, by whom he had previously had a child, and left her a fortnight afterwards to go to Kumara. He sent money for about a year, and then discontinued. When he came back she would not return to him, and he found that she had had a child. Last December Bbc had another, and tbe petitioner said he had never lived with her. The reason he took no proceedings before was that he was too poor. A rule nisi was granted,—Tbe second case was one in which Robert Long, a barman, sued for a divorce. He had married a barmaid named Annie Clarke in 1879, at Wellington. She went, with his permission, to Dunedin, in February, 1882, and though, according to his own account, she was good looking and of a lively disposition, he permitted her to take a barmaid's position without making more than one attempt to prevent her. The consequence was she contracted an intimacy with a man named Stocks, described as a billiard marker, betting man, &c, and lived with him as hia wife. His Honor said he was not satisfied there was no collusion, as the husband's action was extraordinary. Be could coerce hi 3 wife and compel her to return, but did not do so. His Honor

postponed his decision until Monday, October 30.

The adjourned inquest en the man Blackburn, who died in a paddock near the White Hart Hotel, was continued yesterday. One of the witnesses said be had received a letter telling him to keep his mouth shut. A large amount of evidence was brought forward, but nothing to show that actual violence had been used to the deceased. It came out, however, that tbe man had been carried out of the hotel, and first of all shoved down in a right-of-way in the full glare of the sun, and then carted into a paddock and propped up against the fence. There he was left to die. The general tenor of tbe evidence, however, showed that no one thought he was ia a moribund state, but he was treated as though merely drunk. After a retirement of about half-an-hour the jury returned the following verdict :— "The deceased John Edward Blackburn died from congestive appoplexy, accelerated by tbe use of intoxicaiing liquors and tbe inhuman treatment received in connection with his removal from the White Hart Hotel. The jury desire to add a strong vote of censure on the authorities of the White Hart Hotel, and that the coroner be requested to bring the matter under the notice of the Christchurch East Licensing Committee." The coroner said he could not accept the clause as to death having been accelerated by inhuman treatment. Tbat virtually amounted to a charge of manslaughter. The foreman said that the verdict bad been agreed to unanimously. The coroner said that he did not see that inhuman treatment had been proved. One of the jurors replied that it was the unanimous opinion of tbe jury that such had been'proved. Another juror said he did not consider that inhuman treatment had been proved. A third juror said the verdict was the opinion of fourteen men, and asked if the coroner could override it ? The coroner replied that he could refuse to take a verdict that was not legal. The jury did not consider their verdict an illegal one. The coroner would take the verdict with the omission of the clause be had referred to. The forman asked if the jury might retire for tbe purpose of amending tbeir verdict ? The coroner replied that they could. The jury retired, and after a brief deliberation returned with their verdict amended by the omission of the word " inhuman," so as to read " death acclerated by the treatment received in connection with bis removal from the White Hart Hotel." The coroner said he would accept the verdict, which was accordingly signed in the usual way. The New Zealand Shipping Company have made arrangements to provide for shipping frozen meat from several centres of population. The Opawa is being fitted at Home, and will load at Lyttelton. The Mataura goes to Napier. Machinery is coming out to fit either the City of Perth or the Piako, to load at the Bluff. Shaw Saville's Lady Jocelyn will load in February at Wellington, and the above, with the Sorrento at Port Chalmers, will make five vessels ready to take meat during this summer.

News has been received of Colonel Packo's death at Sumner at 2.30 p.m. yesterday, from congestion of tbe lußgs. He had been ailing for a long time, and his death has several times been reported before its occurrence. It is unfortunately true on this occasion. He was only 46 or 47 years of age. He joined the army at the Crimean War, and was at the relief ofLucknow, He came to IVew Zealand in 1862, became captain of the old No. 2 Company, then Mayor, and on Colonel Reader's removal, was placed in charge of the Canterbury district. He was much respected, being very genial in his manner, and a great enthusiast in field sports.