AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 583, 20 June 1873, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

The Corporation of Sydney is considering an offer of a London Company to lay down street tramways. The celebrated Krokman’s quartz reef retains its character as to richness. A recent crushing of 53 tons of stone yielded 5,4C0 ounces of gold. A curious statement was lately made at the Melbourne City Police Court by a man named EdwardN. Kitchen, who was charged on warrant with sending a threatening letter to Mr. M‘Arthur, inspector of the Bank of Australasia. He admitted sending the letter, but said ho regretted it, and had no intention of injuring Mr. M‘Arthur. He made a long statement to the effect that he and others had been defrauded of property in a gold claim, and that Mr. Merrifleld, solicitor for the bank, was a party to the fraud. Mr. M‘Arthur said that he believed that the man was a monomaniac. Kitchen was bound over in one surety in 1001. to keep thejpeace for six months. Some'time on Wednesday night the 27th ultimo, the shop of Mr. Browning, pawnbroker, Elizabeth-street, Melbourne, was robbed. The thief adopted the expedient of taking out the end shutter, and ‘ ‘ starring the glaze,” [i.e., breakingi£the" window. Several rings and other articles to the value of about 101. or 151. were taken from inside the window. A sad case was brought under the notice of the magistrates at tho'City Police Court, lately. A girl named Bridget Kennedy, who said she was only 15 years of age, was charged with vagrancy. Mr. Grcig, superintendent of the Immigrants’ Home, stated that the girl had a child about six weeks old, and thatiit [was only with the greatest difficulty ] could be induced to give the infant its natural aliment. She seemed to be devoid of the natural feelings of a mother, and to have an aversion for her in f ant. The girl had the child in her arms in court, but carried it as if she would like to let it fall. Mr. Greig did not wish her to remain in the Homo, as he was afraid she would allow the child to starve. The girl said, when questioned, that she had nothing to say. and the Bench sent her to gaol for three months. Mr. Greig remarked that the gaol officials would have to watch her conduct towards the child closely. A curious developoment of religious mania was brought under the notice of the district coroner at an inquest held on the body of a patient in the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum named Etty. The deceased was admitted last month] in a" very weak state having severe burns on his face and hands, and hejgradually sank, and died on the 29th ult. It was stated that he had been sent from a place called Bulldog, and that, actuated by religious mania, he had seared his face and hands with a hot iron. The cause of death was disease of the brain intensified by the[burns. An old man, 71 years of age, named John Craig Simpson, was lately found dead in his tent, near Mr. Godfrec’s store, Yapeen in the Castlemaine district. An inquest was held on the body by the district coroner, George Smyth, Esq., when it appeared by the evidence that when discovered he was lying in his bed perfectly naked, and almost a skeleton ; there was no sign of food or nourishment in the place, and his body was covered with sores. Mr. Godfreo had seen the poor old fellow some few days previously, when he came to the store, miserably clad, and complaining of the cold. Mrs. Godfreo gave him some hot tea and biscuits. He lived about 100 yards from the store, and was receiving 3s, a week from 'the Ladies Benevolent Committee—this amount Mr. Goodfrco had been instructed by Mr. Hartley to give him in provisions. Deceased was heard on Sunday night driving away the goats from his tent, but not making his appearance on Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Godfrce went to his tent on Wednesday and found the poor fellow in the position described—lying upon a few old sacks quite dead, cold, and stiff. A post mortem examination was made by Dr. Gpw, who gave it as his opinion that death was the result of congestion of the lungs, accelerated by want of nourishment, cold, and exposure; the stomach was perfectly empty, and bleached white through want of food. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony. The unfortunate old man was a very eccentric character, and would not allow a female to enter his tent on any pretence, having conceived a great aversion to the fair sex.