NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 841, 16 March 1903, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND.

(Per Press Association.) NAPIER, Saturday. Messrs Nelson Bros., and the insurance companies refuse to give any information as to the insurances in connection with last night’s lire. The damage is not nearly so extensive as was anticipated, and the works will be in full swing again in a few days. WELLINGTON, Sal unlay.

The Harbour Board has let its firs contract in connection with the con struetion of the Wellington docks The successful tenderers are Joh McLean ami Eon, £1)253.

NELSON, Saturday. Two cases were entered at the civil sitting of the Supreme Court. —G. LI. Allan, of Colliugwood, sued Richardson, returning oilicer of the County Council, for £501) damages for malicious prosecution for charging him with forgery in an alteration of the electoral roll- Allan was acciuitted. The issue revolved on the question whether defendant felt he was doing his duty in prosecuting. The jury answered “Yes, though sufficient care to ascertain (he true extent of plainttilt’s culpability has not been taken.” Judgment went for defendant with costs. The other case was that of John Veysey,schoolmaster at Foxhill who sued Fred K. Mace, now of Wellington, for £5Ol damages for assault on the Foxhill railway station. The defence was a general denial, hut admission that an assault was committed in order to force Veysey to bring an action and so ventilate a a charge against Vo|yscy of indecent handling of Mace’s daughter, a pupil, which was ’investigated by the Education Board, when Veysey was exonerated. Defendant urged that the evidence at the enquiry was only that of the girl and plaintiff, as people were unwilling to mix themselves up in the case, and lienee he was also unable to institute criminal proceedings. Tn cross-examination plaintiff said he had been 2-1 years in the employ of the Education Board, and bad been three times accus'd) of tampering with girls, but was exonerated. He had found it difficult to obtain another school, though recommended to leave Foxhill Judge Denniston strongly reprobated an assault, with the object, of ventilation of Mace’s grievances in that Court. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff for £lO damages. News has been received that Nathaniel Dodgslum, a well-known storekeeper at Brightwater, was thrown from his horse this morning and instantaneously killed.

W. S. Rawklitf, a remittance man from England, who resided with his wife and fam'ily at Church Valley, Wakefield, committed suicide yesterday by taking carbolic acid. He had been drinking heavily, and suffered from delirium tremens. He was under a delusion that the detectives were after him. 1-Ie hid himself in the

manuka scrub, where a constable discovered him and took him home, and he was attended by a doctor, but during the absence of a man servant he look the acid and died. An inquest will be held to-morrow.

CHRISTCHURCH, last night.; A meeting of the clergy and laity decided to hold a meeting presided over by the Dishop to protest against the desecration of Good Friday by the annual meeting of the Christchurch Cycling Club being held ...on that day. ~

A discovery of gold-bearing quart/, is repotted to have been made in

South Canterbury at a spot fourteen miles from Winchester. Samples of stone sent to the Otago School of Mines are said to have given favourable results. Indications of copper and silver were found in the stone. An area of 75 acres has been pegged out in the same vicinity, and clay, supposed to he either pipeclay or or French chalk, has been discovered in large quantities. -- TIMA.ru, last night. Tlie ballot for the Chamberlain settlement was held here to-day. William Stirling, schoolmaster, of

Hawke’s Bay, was one of the successful applicants, securing section 2 of Block 11., containing 388 acres. OAMARU, last night. A man named Timothy Collins was badly crushed by a traction engine falling on him on Papirmii road. The engine-head reared up and when being righted came down on Collins, who was in a kneeling position. It broke his leg in two places. He was brought to Oamaru Hospital, where his leg was amputated close .to the hip joint, but the case was hopeless, and Collins died at 1 o’clock on Saturday morning.