NEWS OF THE DAY

Globe, Volume V, Issue 547, 20 March 1876, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY

Race Horses. —The horses Hercules and Sultan were passengers south in the s.s. Hawea yesterday. Diocesan Choral Association.— The annual general meeting of the members of this association will be held on Thursday evening next, at the College Library, at eight o’clock. St. John’s Sunday Schools. The monthly service for the children attending the above Sunday schools was held yesterday afternoon in the Church of St John the Baptist, Latimer Square. The incumbent, the Rev H. C. M. Watson, officiated, and chose as the subject of his address “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” The New Police Barracks and Court House, at Lyttelton. —lt is currently reported that the piece of land next to the Union Bank at the lower end of Salt’s Gully, is to be the spot where the new police barracks and court house are to be erected. It is certainly about the most awkward and out of the way spot that could have been selected for such a purpose. Bicycling in New Zealand. —Dr Welch and Mr Wilson started on the 16th at six o’clock in the morning for Hokitika, They arrived at the Bealey at 7.30 p.m. on the 17th. They had to face a gale of wind, or they would have reached there earlier. They arrived at Hokitika at seven o’clock last evening, when it was raining heavily; they proceed with their bicycles to Greymouth tomorrow if fine. Dunedin Races. —We notice by advertisement that the N.Z.S.S. Company’s s.s. Taranaki will leave Lyttelton Wednesday at 1 p.m., taking passengers to Dunedin for the races at reduced rates, As she returns the day after the meeting is over, there need be no unnecessary delay in Otago, but if people wish to stay longer they can return in any other of this company’s boats before April Ist, without incurring any additional expense. Large Stack Fire.— The North Otago Times contains the report of a large stack fire on the farm of Mr Chrystalat Waiak( ra : —“ The fire spread across the stubble, destroying in its course fourteen stacks, two being saved by the efforts of the men. Ten of the stacks were situated upon a ridge, along which the fire was carried by a change of wind. Of the stacks destroyed, ten were of wheat, and four of barley. A number of bags of oats were likewise burnt, as also some oats cut, the loss on oats being about 230 bags. The elevators and part of a threshing machine, standing in the paddock in the course of the fire, were burnt. Altogether the damage done reaches fully £IOOO. We are sorry to learn that Mr Chrystal was uninsured.” Meteoric Stone.— The Timaru Herald says—We have received from Mr Hislop, manager of the Domain, a curious specimen of mineralogy, which we take to be an zerolite. It resembles a very large nut in shape and appearance, except that the color is bluish black, and the weight far greater than that of any vegetable substance. When found it was enclose! in a crust of burnt earth, and seems to have been embedded in the soft disturbed clay of the ornamental water excavations, during a recent thunderstorm. Microscopic examination discerns no vegetable appearances, but confirms the belief that the substance is of meteoric origin. We have submitted the “ fire ball ” to competent authorities, and hope soon to be able to give a full account of it. The Provincial Engineer of Nelson. —At the end of the evidence against John Millar, late Provincial Engineer, Nelson, charged with obtaining money under false pretences, the Court adjourned for an hour to consider the evidence. The following decision was then given :—The Oourthas come to the conclusion from the evidence adduced that the charge has been sustained ; that the accused, by a fictitious invoice, induced the Superintendent of Nelson, during the month of October, 1875, to part with-the sum of £49 15s for the alleged purpose of procuring certain instruments enumerated therein from one Ashworth Crawshaw, now of Dunedin, which sum was converted to the use of the accused by the seeming vendor, at the insti gation of the accused, in payment of certain moneys o ving by him, and that the subse quent attempt made to substitute other instruments in place of those the Government, were led to believe were to be forwarded from Dunedin does not in anywise diminish the criminality of the offence, nor can it be urged in extenuation. With regard to the arrangement between the accused and Crawshaw (which to say the least was a very im proper one) whereby the latter agreed to act merely as an agent in transferring the property of certain instruments from the accused to the Provincial Government of Nelson, the Court has nothing to do. The Bench are therefore of opinion that a prima facie case had been made out, and that it is consequently necessary to refer it to a higher Court. The accused was then cautioned, and formally committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court, in May next. Bail was allowed, the accused in £3OO and two sureties of £l£o each. Messrs Lightfoot and Thornton are the sureties.

Amateur Athletic Club.— The ommittee of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club have been fortunate enough to secure the use of the old cricket ground for their annual sports on Saturday next. This ground will be a great improvement on the one originally intended to be used, which is very rough, and would have prevented anything like good time being made. The entries for the various events will have to be made on or before Wednesday next, at 7.30, at Warner’s Hotel, when a general meeting will be held. Native Affairs.— The Post says“ A telegram has been received by the Hon the Native Minister from Opotiki to the follo wing effect ‘ Opitiki, 14th March, 1876. Hon Native Minister, Wellington. Hamiona was handed over by the Uriwera to Captain Preece this morning. He is now in hands of Constabulary. Herbert W. Brabant, R M., Whakatame.’ This Hamiona, it will be remembered, in November last shot a native named Tukino te Marae under the impression that he (Tukino) was a wizard, and had caused the death of several natives, including some of his (Hamiona’s) relatives. Having thus killed the supposed wizard, Hamionajfiedjto the Uriewera country, escaping the Armed Constabulary sent in pursuit, and has since eluded capture. Now, however, as will be seen by the telegram, the Uriweras have given him up to the European authorities. The event is not without significance, as in other instances there has been a persistent refusal on the part of the natives to give up fugitives from justice accused of the gravest crimes.” Alarm op Fire. Short after seven o’clock on Saturday evening the Marketplace fire bell rang out a most startling peal, so much so as to induce the belief that a very serious fire had taken place, Fortunately, however, considering the strong N.E. breeze which was blowing at the time, the cause of the alarm was simply a chimney on the premises of Mrs Atkinson, Whately road, which was quickly put out without recourse being had to the engines. The fire brigade and fire police mustered promptly, but their services were not required. There is one thing which was noticeable on Saturday evening to which we direct the attention of the fire brigade committee, and that is the necessity for some means being provided to prevent the embers from the engine fire being scattered along the streets in its progress. On Saturday evening the street was strewn with large embers of fire which, with the wind then blowing and the close proximity of closely packed blocks of wooden houses, was, to say the least, exceedingly dangerous.

A train with military recruits ran off the track at Odessa, Russia, a short time ago, plunged down an embankment, and was wrecked. The cars caught fire, and before all the men could be extricated many were burned to death. The total number killed was sixty-eight, and fifty-four were injured, several fatally. “If,” said a New England preacher, suddenly pausing in his sermon, “the youth who has just thrown that egg at the window will wait till service is over, he will learn what a Christian minister can do for the salvation of his soul,” The verdict of the coroner’s jury in the case of a Detroit dry goods clerk who died suddenly the other day was:—“After a careful examination, we find that death ensued from his having neglected to ask ‘ Anything else to-day ?’ of a lady leaving the store,’