AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 530, 14 June 1872, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

A boy named Wall lately escaped from the gaol.at Ararat was recaptured. About two hours afterwards he-was , found dead, haviugjj hauggd himself with a strip of blanket. " , , '' A man named Coghlan has been arrested at Albury, on suspicion of having murdered two hawkers named Selby and Bennett at Stawell, in 1863. The two men, Lester and Nicholls have been found guilty of the Paramatta River murders. Upon being asked if they had anything to say before sentence was passed, Ficholls commenced to apeak, ' but immediately fainted, Lester then fainted also. The prospects of a confirmation of the Duffy and Vogel Califomian mail contract looks very doubtful. By telegram from Sydney, the question of a line of steam vessels to ply by the Cape of Good Hope is in a fair way of advancing towards settlement The statement is that a Company is being formed with a capital of 2,000,000k Mr. Hargreaves,who claims to be the discoverer of gold in Australia, has addressed a circular to the members of the Legislatures of New South Wales and Victoria, claiming a further reward for his services. He has already received 2,381/. from Victoria. v -1 ■ ■ J. Wilkie for the Daylesford murder'has been executed at Castlemaine gaol. He made no confession. Nene witnessed the execution, beyond the representatives of the Press and the necessary officials. The sentence passed upon Ebell,.for attempting to poison the whole of a family at Albury, has been commuted, to imprisonment for life. Mining matters at Talbot ,aro very encouraging. The Melbourne Mining Exchange'was opened for business on the 29th ultimo. There was a good attendance of members both morning and afternoon, and a fair amount of business was transacted. It will, however bo'some time before the associa’. tion settles into good working order. The number of members is increasing. A committee meeting of the Persian Famine Relief Fund has been held in the Melbourne Town Hail, when the Treasurer announced that he had placed the sum of 130/. to the credit of the fund at the Colonial Bank. Ihe Criminal Sessions were continued on the 16th inst in the old Court-hous", behre his Honour the Chief Justice. The only case taken was that of James Jackson, a lad of about 20, who was charged with having committed a criminal offence upon Miss Shenorak Rule, an old maiden lady, who resided alone at Maidstone, near Footscray, She was the daughter of a physical! but was in poor circumstances. Her age was between 60 and 70 years. From her evidence it appeared that the prisoner entered her house shortly after midnight on the 2nd of December,and criminally assaulted her three times, threatening her at the same time with a knife. He was now arrested until the sth of April. He was found guilty, with a recommendation to mercy on account of his youth, and was remanded, for sentenoe. During the hearing of the case the Chief Justice had occasion to comment severely upon the conduct of some women, who persisted in remaining in court. He remarked ’ that it was positively disgusting to see women sit there listening to all the nauseous details and ho regretted he had not the power to order them out of court. If they remained, the court would know what to think of their character. His observations did not however produce the effect intended as one woman continued to stay. The Court adjourned about 4 o’clock. The experiment of utilising prison labour has been carried on to a certain extent during the past week, 17 prisoners from the Melbourne Gaol having been employed on work at the swamp near the Victoria Barracks, over-Prince’s Bridge. The 17 prisoners are conveyed in the prison van in one journey in charge of a turnkey of the gaol, and leave that place at S o’clock in the morning having previously had their first meal. They commence wort at about a quarter-past 8 o clock, and, with tbe exception of stopping to take one meal prepared by one of the prisoners who acts as cook, continue at work till 4 o’clock, at which hour they are again taken to the gaol in the van. While they arc employed guard is kept over them by members of the local force, and the turnkey acts as overseer to see that the prisoners woik. The days are too short at present for the men to work more hours than they do, as by the time they hare been returned to the gaol and have partaken of their last meal it is dark enough to render it advisable for them to be placed in their cells. They are, however, employed about seven hours, and it is said they do a very fair amount of work during that time. An attendant at Colney Hatch, bearing the singularly suggestive name of Lash, has been committed for trial for assaulting one of the inmates under bis care. A firework-maker at Hackney, has been fined 10/, on each of two charges, and the whole of his dangerous stock confiscated. The driver of a dust cart was the other day fined Is. for driving into and'smashing Punch and Judy show. He had to pay 10s, damages.