Australian News

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 90, 1 March 1888, Page 3

Australian News

AN INFANT BURNED TO DEATH. ORE, 5000 OUNCES TO THE TON. A BOY RABBITER TURNS OUT TO BE A WOMAN. SHOCKING ILLTRE \TMENT OF HORSES, FEARFUL SUICIDE. (Per Mail Steamer at Bluff.) Sydney, February 21. The Tent and Prospect Water "Works caught fire. The occupant, a woman, had been reading, and had left the candle burning. Her infant, who was only seven months old, was burned to death, and another was badly scorched before assistance arTived. Three other children sleeping in the tent had a narrow escape. The. total amount contributed by Victoria to the Bulli Belief Fusd xeaches the sum of £12,275. The ere recently found by a man named Kelty went SOOOoss to the ton. The mine is sstuated on the Queensland border. ■ m , # i A singular incident is reported at Oxley, near Bathurst. A rabbiter, i who was apparently a lad, and went by the name of Fred Cooper, after being discharged from Tupra station, •came to Oxley, and went into convulsions. It was then discovered that the supposed lad was a woman. Her name is lizzie Gilfour, and she formerly belonged to Bichmond, near Melbourne. She left her home 13 months ago, dressed as a boy, and got work in Biveriad, either rabbiting or acting as cowboy. Nothing peculiar was noticed in her demeanour, but she kept aloof from men, and showed great fondness for children. No special reason is assigned for her impost* ture. She was brought up at Oxley Police Court to-day, and remanded. John Samuels, a prisoner in Cobier lock-up, was found dead in his pell, with his skull fractured, on Friday last. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict that Samuels was killed by a blow received within the prescints of the gaol, but how and by whom the blow was inflicted, evidence did not enable them to say, They added a rider to the effect that the police used unnecessary harshness in dealing with the prisoner, and recommended an inquiry to be held in the present case. A shocking case of ill-treatment of horses by a carrier has happened at ( Warren. John Mclnnes, after inflicting severe injuries on three horses of his team, made away, but was arrested 200 miles away from Warren, and brought back. Evidence showed that the eyes of one horse were com- 1 pletely smashed in his head ; another was terribly cut about the body, the wounds being deep and long, while the tail of the third was severed a few inches from the roots. The counsel for the defence succeeded in having the case brought under the " Cruelty to Animals Act," instead ot the "Criiu Law Act." The defendant was sentenced to two months, without the option of a fine. Brisbane, February 21. Information has been received by the Chief Inspector of Stock that the disease, which recently broke out among the horses in the West Morton district, has extended to cattle and sheep. Robert Sumner, sash and door maker, and ex-alderman, committed suicide at Bockhampton, by lying on a jar containing lOlbs of gunpowder, and putting a match to it. It exploded, and he was so horribly injured about the stomach, and cut about the head by falling timber, that he died ; The shop was wrecked, and the windows in the adjoining houses were smashed. The noise of the explosion was heard a mile away. The body of Sumner's son, who had died of typhoid fever, was lying in a coffin upstairs, and was thrown out by the explosion.