AUSTRALASIAN ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 431, 22 July 1870, Page 3

AUSTRALASIAN ITEMS.

A fire occurred on Tuesday morning, the sth inst., at the “Varieties” place of amusement, situate in Burke-street, Melbourne. The fife extended to the buildings at the rear, the large stabling belonging to Mr. Garton, which were entirely consumed, including the loss of twenty-two horses, besides a large number of vehicles. The fire is supposed to have originated in a store adjoining the “Varieties,” known as the “Shilling Store.” The total loss is estimated at £25,000. Her Majesty’s Skip Blanche has sailed from Sydney for the Auckland Islands, with the intention of making a thorough search for any shipwreck. Bird, the English pedestrian, has been matched in Sydney to run one mile against WheeleI', 1 ', a native, for £2OO a-side. Three hundred Chinese arrived in Hobson’s Bay on the sth inst. by the ship Chelsea. In the late pedestrian match between Harris and Hewitt, for the championship and £2OO, the latter took the lead from the start, and never gave a show to Harris, and won easily. Mr. A. L. Gordon, well known in Melbourne as a gentleman steeplechase rider, committed suicide by shooting himself. He has left a wife and child tolerably unprovided for. An inquest has been held on the body of Charles D’ Aloustel, whose body was found in the river Yarra, and a verdict of temporary insanity returned. Mr. G. M. Nichols, a clerk in the Education Department, Melbourne, was killed by his horse falling upon him in attempting to jump a fence. This sad event occurred at Keilor, when returning from hunting. Another Bank embeSSlement has occurred in Melbourne. The party charged is William Helton Daniels, clerk in the Oriental Banking Corporation. The amount embezzled is £l,OlO. The prisoner was committed for trial, A preacher, named Thomas Taylor of Sandhurst who was found guilty of fraud as a trustee Under a will, has been fined £6OO to the crown, and to be imprisoned till it be paid, the imprisonment not to exceed two years. A sale of diamonds from the Mudgee Diamond Company, N. S. W. recently took place. The prices ranged from £l9 down to a very small price. The number sold was 121, and the prices considered satisfactory. The Opera Company have commenced their second season at the Theatre Royal Melbourne. It is anticipated that it will be very successful,

The story of Edmuild Keeil, the tragedian’s, later days is of the most distressing kind, and is very fully detailed by Mr. Hawkins. He alnlbst lived upon brandy, “ did not take an ounce of solid food a day for weeks together.” On one occasion his doctor was startled by the unexpected appearance of tjie actor’s servant, who announced “• with great exultation that her master had eaten a quarter of A red herring. ’ He died a shattered, half-paralysed, prematurely old man in the forty-seventh year of his age. He was deeply in debt at the timfeof his death, and everything he possessed, even to his theatrical wardrobe and properties, was sold by auction tor the benefit of his creditors.