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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4007, 26 May 1884, Page 2

We understand that Mr C. L. Margoliouth's was the highest tender for. the business premises next the Daily Telegraph offie'e, and which were lately in the occupation of Mr T. J. Ryan. A scratch football match was played on Saturday afternoon on Clive Square, between the first fifteen of the Union Club and a team of all comers of the club, in which the former won .by two goals to a try. . The first tune played by the members of the Garrison Band in their new uniform had the effect of startling three horses hitched on to a wool dray, who bolted up Shakespeare road, but the hill soon pulled them up. Mrs Bathilda Persson, ; whose death is announced in our "Wellington telegram as having occurred during the voyage of the steamer Victory from London, was ■ one of the passengers destined for Hawke's Bay. She leaves a widower and two children, aged respectively 9 and 3 years old. Mr A. V. Macdonald, who has been appointed district manager of the Napier line of railway, arrived here on Saturday. "We have not heard to what section MrJJCarruthers will bo transferred, but the many friends he has made here during the time he has managed this railway will bo very sorry to lose him. There was a very large gathering , to-day at the Spit to witness the annual competition matches of the Spit Fire Brigade. "We shall publish the results to-morrow, the matches "not having been concluded when we went to press. The annual dinner of the brigade takes place this evening at Mr Bell's Crown Hotel. : Dates were considerably mixed to-day in the R.M. Court in a forgery case.: One witness said he got the cheque. about a certain date, which happened to he a Sunday ; another gave a Monday for a Tuesday's date; in fact a calendar to.refresh the memories of witnesses as to dates would . have been of considerable assistance this morning. Our Wairoa correspondent informs us that at the native meeting at Manutahaorangi (Waikaremoana), held on Saturday, 300 natives were present. Hapimana, the chief speaker, said they had no objection to Te Kooti's religion, but there must be only one Government. They might 'have as many religions as they liked, but any that was to subvert European Government they would have nothing to do with. ;

The following amounts were paid over 011 Saturday evening at the settling of the Waipukurau races :.—Mr C. L. Muekersey, £128 os ;' Mr F. Peacock, £33 os; Mr HI P. Gohen, £23 15s ; Mr S. H. Gollari, £23 15s; Mr A.'Woods, £9 10s ; Mr J. Driscoll, £4' 15s; Mr W. Dennett, £2. At a meeting , of the Waipukurau Race Committee, held after the settling, a resolution was passed that Mr S. H. Gollan be fined £3 for not giving notice of the scratching of his horso Oberon for the District Handicap. The town presented a lively appearance this morning up till 11.30 o'clock. Fourhorso vehicles and other public conveyances were plying for' passengers for the Petano races, and the parade of the two volunteer companies, with the G-arrison Band, attracted, a largo crowd of spectators. At one time some excitement was expected from the fearjof one of three horses in a farm dray at .the sound of military music.

With some littlo trouble the team was coaxed past the Post Office, when the horses proceeded at a smart gallop up Shakespeare >"'' road. The gradient of the hill, and the load of bags of grain in the dray, told materially on the pace, and the horses seemed glad to pull up in front of a battery of artillery that was leaving the gun shed. The sports on the Recreation Ground began at 1 o'clock before a goodly attendance of spectators, and long before the clay is over there promises to be a very large crowd present. The Garrison Band at intervals enlivened the proceedings by musical selections. The following were the results up to 2 o'clock : -Open Handicap 150 yards, Ist prize £2, McGrath (13 yard 8 start); 2nd prize £1, Howe (scratch)•; 3rd, Arthurson (scratch). Volunteer Handicap in full dress, 120 yards, Ist prize 20s Cato; 2nd 10s Carnell. For this event there were 15 starters.

A point of some interest to athletes has iust been decided by the Australasian. At the Rowing ■ Club's sports two men were backed against one another in a particular race ; eventually one did not accept, while the other ran and was placed, but that the wager stood good was disputed and retcrrcd to us. We consulted a high official of the Jockey Club, and our occasional sporting contributor "Caller Ou'." Th* former gave the wager as off, while the latter was as emphatic that it held good. When the bet was made both had a chance to win, and therefore it was "play or pay. Ihe Australasian upholds the view put forward by " Caller Ou'." We know several bets on the meeting hinged on the point, and when the "doctors" differed we dei clined to give a decision, but the ruling of the Australasian may be taken as correct.

At the R.M. Court this morning, before Captain Preece, R.M., James Murdoch, charged with drunkenness at Hastings, failed to appear, and had his bail estreated. —Elizabeth Sneddon was charged with lunacy Andrew Sneddon deposed that his Wife had been ailing for two years, and the last fortnight she had shown signs of mental aberration. She had been previously in the Dunedin asylum for twelve months. He had given her all his wages, but for threo months she had paid no bills, and he did not know what had been done with his earnings. She was remanded for seven days for medical examination. — William Hemery, on remand, was charged with forging a cheque on the Union Bank of Australia. Maria Chissell deposed to having cashed a cheque for accused for £2 10s purporting to be signed by Walter Williams, Puketapu, on the 3rd May.- William Chissell gave corroborative evidonce, and in addition said he got prisoner to endorse the cheque. Witness paid the cheque away, and had it returned to. him marked " signature unlike, after which he gave the cheque to Inspector Scully. Thomas W. Williams deposed he was a earner residing at Puketapu, and Tknew the prisoner, who was never in his employ. He had not given him the cheque produced, which was not his signature. He kept his account at the Union Bank in the name of T. W- Williams. John Gregory said he gave accused two blank cheques on the Union Bank in the early part of the month. Inspector Scully identified the cheque as brought to him by Mr Chissell about the 11th May. Detective Grace said he arrested the prisoner, and charged him with the offence, to which prisoner replied it was not a forgery, as he did not know Mr Williams had an account at the bank. At this stage the case was remanded till 2 o'clock tomorrow owing to the absence of a material witness who was engaged with the awkward squad in celebrating Her Majesty s natal day.

At the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening an original drama by Mr Willmott, the manager of the company, was produced, entitled '' Facilis Descensus Averni.'' Like all the colonial written plays by Cooper, Marcus Clarke, and George Darrell, it co - tains too many incidents, and has but little literary merit; on the briskness of its dialogue it does not rely so much as on the sensational character which distinguishes every scene. Mr Willmott may be deBsribed as having followed the Paul Merritt school closely, the curtain falls at the end >~ of each act on a striking tableau. The plot has reference to a strange codicil to a will, but there is no attempt whatever to conceal the direction which the plot will take, and therein Mr Willmott strikes out an original course from his school. The whole interest in the piece centered round Messrs Rede and Teece, the former an easy-going goodnatured youn# fellow with a fancy for horses and a reputed knowledge of them which is not clearly shown in the play, while the other played the part of a gentlemanly villain —the cousin of the other. Of course virtue, after being ruined at cards, nearly murdered in a gambling hell, and half suffocated in a mine at the Palmer, ultimately triumphs, though we must do the playwright the justice of saying that at the close a little is left to _ the imagination. Now, us we know, virtue does not always come out best in the battle of life, for once we should like to see a play where the villain would have the best of the deal, just for variety. The play met with the repeated approval of the audience, and both gentlemen have to be congratulated on their representations. Miss Crawford, as a squatter's daughter might have passed muster in the fifties, but then the Palmer diggings were not known till nearly twenty V years later, so that the play in part was defective. Miss Lawrence, as the mother of the good-natured man, did the little required of her well. Mr Wilkinson, in tho dual parts of a digger and bookmaker, was veiy successful. He danced a hornpipe in one act, and though such could scarcely be termed a "leg part" it was received with much applause by the audience. Mr Alexander, as a bookmaker, could have learnt much from Mr Wilkinson. The other parts were fairly filled. This evening the drama of "Withered Leaves" and Byron's burlescmc of " Cinderella " will be presented. It is impossible to remain long sick or out of health where Hop Bitters are used. See another.