NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1053, 21 November 1903, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

.(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. In the Supreme Court, a negro named Thomas Duncan was sentenced to ten years and two floggings for assaulting a Maori girl, aged sixteen, near Rotorua. He pounced on the girl as she was returning home alone from a dance after midnight, carried her to a lonely. ppot,. and brutally, assaulted her. WAIROA, yesterday. Three and a-half inches have fallen since 6 p.m, on Wednesday. There is a heavy flood in the river. (The hay and grain crops have been severely damaged. WOODVILLE, last night. In a case in which a man was charged with, a breach of a prohibition order (lie being found in the bar of the railway refreshment rooms) the Magistrate, Mr James, decided that refreshment rooms were not a licensed house within the meaning of the Act, the license for them being now issued by the Minister of Railways, and not by the Licensing Committee, as prescribed by. the Act. He ■dismissed the ease.. At Kiritalvi on Wednesday, lightning struck a house and shattered it badly. Three men in the house at the time were knocked senseless, Tlie weather is very cold, with snow on the ranges. NEW PLYMOUTH, last night, A sharp shock of earthquake was felt at 5.40 this morning. The weather is bitterly cold. STRATFORD, last night. The dairy factories of Stratford pay to-morrow £IB,OOO for the October output, which is a record Hr the opening, month of the season. Forged telegrams to sporting men calculated to mislead have been common. To-day a resident has teen summoned and charged with sending forged telegrams to Hawem horn the Wanganui racecourse. He will appear at Wanganui at the end oi November.-

WELLINGTON, last ni<tbt. A deputation from the Employers’ Association waited on the Underwriters’ Association and urged a reduction in charges for fire, risks. They pointed to the diminution in risk, owing to nhe improved character of buildings. The underwriters promised to give the matter favorable consideration, with a view to making a recommendation at a conference to be- held in February.ASHBURTON, last night. Alfred E. : Symons pleaded guilty to a charge of sly grog-selling at ■ Mount Somers on August 21st. He was fined £SO, or in default one mouth’s imprisonment, DUNEDIN, last night. The Executive of Tahuna. Park ■have agreed to license a limited number of "bookmakers at an individual fee of three guineas. INVERCARGILL, last night. For failing to disclose the ownership of a section wortli £4O, the pensions of James Holland and his wife were cancelled,