CHRISTCHURCH.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3582, 4 January 1883, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH.

This day. At the inquest on the body of James Thomson, who was killed on the raihvay on Monday lust, the evidence showed that the deceased had been drinking for .some time past, and was alone at the time of the accident, which was not observed by any of the other passengers by the train. During the firing , of the salute on the arrival of his Excellency Sir James Premiergast at the dock yesterday, Gunner "Washer, whose duty was to cany the cartridges from the limber to the gun, was standing with a charge in his hand too near to the muzzle while the gun was being sponged out. The strong wind that was blowing at the time carried a spark from the gun uu to the cartridge which AViisher was holding, and exploded it, inflicting some severe bums on his anus, breast, and neck. The whole of the front of the tunic was also burnt away. On Tuesday, as the List train from South - bridge \yh;i wear frebblyton, iho amines

driver observed a little child about eighteen months old on the line. He whistled repeatedly, but the child had not sense enough to run away. The brakes were put on, but the engine was not stopped in time, and the cow-catcher pushed the child off the line, bruising one side of her head and face rather badly. She was immediately taken to a doctor and attended to, and yesterday was doing very well. Sir Julius Vogel and the Hon. W. Rolleston left for the South by express train this morning. The following amounts have been paid over in connection with the races :—Mason and Vallance, £847 15s ; Cutts, £190 5 ; D. O'Brien, £108 15s ; W. C. Webb, £95 ; and small amounts, making a total of £1302 14s. The Customs duties for December amounted to £16,061 14s sd. The amount for the same period last j-ear was £19,131 0s 7d.