LATEST INTERCOLONIAL NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 3224, 20 June 1873, Page 3

LATEST INTERCOLONIAL NEWS

A suit of more than usual interest, because of the magnitude of the damages claimed, and because the litigants are so well known, was commenced in the Supreme Court, Melbourne, on the sth June, before his Honor .ir Justice Williams, and a special jury of twelve. Mr W. Dograves, the miller, squatter, and capitalist, seeks L 30,000 damages from Mr J. T. M‘Mullen, the inspector of the Union Bank, because it is alleged the latter has not carried out an agreement. For the pla ; ntiff it is stated that in 1857 he and the defendant purchased the St. Ann’s and Dotswood stations, Queensland, forLl6,Boo, sut it was agreed that M‘Mullen’s share in the purchase should be concealed from the hank authorities, as by his agreement with them he was forbidden to hold station property. Afterwards M‘Mullen wished to withdraw from the joint proprietorship, and Degraves consented on condition, as be alleges, that the bank over which M‘Mullen was inspector should discount his trade and station bills at seven per cent. That was not done, and Degraves was forced to sell the stations at a sacrifice of LI 1,000, This arrangement is denied by the defendant, and the case turns upon that issue. A man named Harry Page committed suicide on Wednesday, at Malden, under somewhat peculiar circumstances. A slip forwarded by the Tarrengower Times states that some time ago he sustained a sunstroke, and has since then shown, more or less, a wandering in his intellect. For the last three months he has been, as hib friends called it, “ queer,” and suffered much from head-ache. He, for nights in succession, could not sleep, or only in fitful intervals, never getting any real rest for an evidently disordered brain. On Tuesday he was incoherent, and speaking of people tormenting him, and wishing him to throw himself into a waterhole. He again asked if his brain was not diseased, and said he would rather cut his throat than go to the Yarra Bend. He went to bed on Tuesday night as usual, and on Wednesday morning was found dead in his room, with his throat cut from ear to ear. Mr Johnson, the pyrotechnist, has invented a rocket for night-signalling at sea. He has submitted it to Colonel Andersen, commandant of the local forces, who considers it of such value that a hoard has been appointed to report upon it. Colonel Anderson states that the rocket, which explodes with a report

as loud as that of the heaviest artillery, is invaluable for signal purposes, perfectly original, and entirely distinct from any existing system of signals. He believes that a ship in distress having these rockets available would possess equal means of attracting attention with an armed vessel. There was another disturbance of legal serenity in the Melbourne General Sessions on the stb June. Charles Smith and James Scott had been found guilty of two charges of burglary, and Mr O’Loghlen, the Crown Prosecutor, was about to proceed against them on a third charge. An ex-publican, named Taylor, was concerned in it as receiver of the stolen property; and Dr Mackay, who appeared for him, wanted Taylor tri d separately. Mr O’Loghlen declined to consent to this arrangement, urging that the case against Taylor was of such a nature that it could not be properly put before the jury except as one offence, in which the three men were implicated. Dr Mackay then threatened to resort to another course, that is, to challenge the jury. As therewere only thirtyseven jurors, the three prisoners could have exhausted the panel, and Mr O’Loghlen therefore asked for the postponement of the trial till the Criminal Sessions on the 15th instant, and the Court consented. Dr Mackay then applied that Taylor should be let out on the same bail as before, namely, L6O, but Mr O’Loghlen opposed, and his Honor doubled the amount, and as this bail was not obtained Taylor was taken to gaol. The irate doctor then intimated that he would force the Crown to proceed, by applying to the Judge of the Supreme Court on the following day for a writ of habeas , and so the dispute terminted, for the day at least.

Persons whose relatives or friends are in durance vile do not often attempt to pro vide them with medical comforts in the way of strong drink, &c., in broad daylight, but recently a most daring attempt to give a prisoner a small bottle of rum was made at the Richmond Police Depdt. About three o’clock in the afternoon of the 4th June, Constable Armstrong observed a young man named Michael Murphy sneaking about the rear of the depOfc, near which several prisoners were at work. Armstrong watch- d, and his vigilance was rewarded by seeing Murphy pass something over the fence to a prisoner named Gardiner. He arrested Murphy, and took from Gardiner a small bottle containing about a gill of what the constable told the City Bench he believed to be “very bad rum.” Murphy was fined 20a, with an alternative of seven days in gaol. # . Mr Higinbetham had his first innings, since his re-election to the Victorian Parliament, on the sth June. In the course of a lengthy speech, he called attention to remarks made in the British Parliament reflecting upon Victoria in the Shenandoah case, but said he would not ask the Government to interfere until they could speak to Fnglish Ministers face to face, without the intervention of a Governor. Mr Francis held out no hope of the Governor being dispensed with, though he said business communications were now sent through the Agent-General. Sir Charles Duffy spoke warmly on behalf of the British Government, which, he said, had paid the Shenandoah money without attempting to reproach us, and could not be held answerable for all the wild words spoken in Parliament. Some vigorous declamation Wi.3 indulged in by Mr Woods, who called thu Shenandoah a cowardly pirate, and expressed bis belief that Victoria ought to pay the money for harboring such a craft. It transpired that the case for the Crown as regards the Shenandoah presented to the Court at Geneva was prepared under Mr Higinbotham’s supervision. He was offered remunertion by the Imperial Government, but declined receiving any.