NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1973, 21 June 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Court Business.—There was an uncommonly long list of police cases at the EM. Court to-day, both by summons and arrest. One or two of the latter were for shoplifting, a species of offence not to be wondered at these dull times, and more especially when tradesmen provoke crime by exposing their goods outside, a practice which drew forth severo censure from the Bench. Among the summons cases were seven against publicans for allowing gambling, Sunday trading, and after hours. The informations were all laid by constable Oullen. A clergyman was summoned for obstructing a footpath. Runaway.—About nine oV.eck this morning, a horse bolted with a driverless baker's cart in Lower High street. After a short run, the wheel caught the wheel of another cart that was standing at the side of tho street and the baker's cart turned one of tho most complete somersaults on record. The bread, with which it was filled, was distributed with a completeness and speed that would be envied by the most earnest benevolent society. The horse was thrown on its side, and our reporter left a large crowd Bitting on its head. Committal.—At the R.M. Court to-day Richard Wood was committed for trial for breaking into tho shop of Hallenafccin Bros, and stealing articles and cash therefrom.

The Hounds.— A meet haß been arranged to take place at Rangiora on Wednesday at 1.30 p.m., throwing off from near the Plough Inn across the country to Eernside. The Victoria Street Well.—A trial of two charges of dynamite was made on Saturday afternoon, which are supposed to have been successful, but how far has yet to be ascertained.

Y.M.O.A.—There was a good attendance at tho service last night, at which Mr Purdio presided. The Rev. Alexander Blake delivered an impressive address, and the subsequent prayer meeting wan also addressed by him.

A Baid on Publicans.—Boniface appeared hydra-headed at the Court to-day, the following hotelkeepers being summoned: — Edwin Cookson, for selling after prohibited hours; George Beatty, for selling on the Sabbath ; J. W. Morton, for permitting gambling, and Joseph Oram Sheppard, on the the three charges of permitting gambling, i selling on Sunday, and obstructing Sergeant Hughes in the execution of his duty. The charge against Mr Cookson was dismissed, as the witnesses were not to be found, one having gone to Sydney. In the case of J. O. Sheppard, Sergeant Hughes stated that ou Sunday morning, about half-past three, he heard voices in the White Hart, and on looking through the window saw three men throwing dice, and the barman washing glasaos. Constable Hallam and Constable Hayes also saw the dice throwing. On witness going to the door, the night watchman would not let him in for five minutes, by which time the men had gone away, but were discovered by witness in the back yard. Defendant gave evidence to the effect that he had given instructions that none but lodgers were to be admitted, and that dice were not to be used. The night watchman corroborated this evidence, and said that the men in the bar wero his personal friends. The case was proceeding whsn we wont to press. Fibe at Kaiapoi.—On Saturday evening the brigade was called out for a fire in the ceiling of the upper storey at Mr W. May's house. It wa3 extinguished with a few bucbots of water, and the damage done was trifling. The building was insured, but the furniture was not.

Accident at Kaiapoi.—On Saturday evening a pair of horses attached to a dray driven by Mr John Moody, bolted near the Swing bridge, Mr Moody, in trying to get off, slipped with his right leg between the dray and the wheel; his foot was crushed and his knee severely bruised before the horses woro stopped near Mr Pinching's chomist shop. Theatre Royal.—The Pantascope was exhibited both at the matinee and evening performances on Saturday, and waß well patronised. Mr Chalet's vontriloquial feats were highly appreciated, as they deserved. To-night will be the last of the Pantascope of tho American mail route, as on Tuesday a new set, of scenes will be exhibited, and Mr Chalet will introduce a new feature into hia ventriloquial performance, consisting of four persons speaking at once. Interested Councillors.—Mr Wiggins, one of the borough Councillors at Akaroa, and proprietor of the local paper, has been fined £lO by tho Bosident Magistrate there for boing concerned in work to be done for tho Council, or in other words publishing the Borough Council advertisements in his paper. It is stated that a similar prosecution is to be proceeded with at Bangiora against a Councillor there. The Mystery of Edwin Dbood.— Tho public are at length to be permitted to penetrate the " Mystery of Edwin Drood," which the untimely death of Dickens was supposed to have excluded for ever from their view. There was only one man apparently to whom Dickens confided any part of his intentions, and that was Mr Luke Fildes, the artist who illustrated the cover of tho monthly parts in which " Edwin Drood " appoared. From him Messrs Joseph Hatton and Charles Dickers, the novelist's son, are understood to have obtained suggestions for the denouement of the tale, as they have worked it out in the new drama about to be produced at the Princess's. Jasper, according to Messrs Hatton and Dickens, is the murderer of Edwin Drood, and he is made to foresee his arrest and condemnation in a vision while under the influence of opium. This vision scene will, it is said, be a very effective one in the play, A Plba fob Assassination. —A Russian Nihilist in England has offered the following plea for the justice of the attempted assassination of the Czar: —"English journals," writes the Russian, "are making a mighty to-do about the atrocious attempt on the Czir." They cry out because we have striven to slay the good Alexander. Let us see how logical they are. A man named Paine is boing tried for his life for having given a woman brandy in order that she might drink herself to death ; at least, this is what is alleged of him. Should he be condemned, not one of them will have a word of pity, and his condemnation will certainly not be called " atrocious." Now, in 1862, a powerful teetotal movement began in Russia, and every solemn pledge is taken —according to custom —in church, the priests were obliged to assist the community. The new disease spread rapidly, and the effects on the revenue were becoming apparent. Whereupon the Czar issued a ukase commanding a dissolution of the Society of Abstainers, and the apostles of temperance were forced either to keep absolute silence or to work secietly. In one case a single woman is the victim; in the other case eighty our countrymen are refused all release from the national vice of drunkenness, which is destroying our peasantry body and soul. The English writers condemn Paine and called the Czar blessed, although the latter has a hundred crimes on his shoulders equal to the crime of crushing the temperance movement."

Raising- the " Rint."—At a recant meeting of the Duchess of Marlborough's Relief Committee, two little boys, half-naked and barefooted, sought admission to Dublin Castle, stating that they had walked all the way from Skibbereen, County Cork, to plead for help to pay their father's rent. They said they were the sons of Pat M'Carthy, of Clonclugger, in the parish of Oaharag, near Skibbereen. He had a bit of land, but the times were so bad he could not pay the "rint," and he owed £B. Having gone round to the friends and neighbours he could only scrape together £6. The two children who were twelve and fourteen years old, thought they would aßk the good Duchess of Marlborough to give " daddy " £2. Away they started for Dublin, begging their food and lodging, and inquiring their way from town to town. The journey, upwards of two hundred miles, occupied three weeks. Touched with the narrative, the Duchess promised to send their father the £2. They were then by command of Her Grace taken to tho clothes room, and their tattered garments changed for a new Buit of tweed each. Having been regaled with a substantial dinner, they were brought before the ladies of the Committee, who rewarded the bravo adventurers with a pocketful of Bilver. On the same day Mr Fitzgerald, assistant secretary to the Relief Fund, wrote to the Rev. J. Wall, parish priest, enclosing a post-office order for £2, payable to M'Carthy, tho father of the boys. Sydenham Borough Council.—This body will meet to-night at seven o'clock. City Council.—The usual weekly meeting of the City Council will be held this evening at seven o'clock.

Property Tax at Kaiapoi.—A meeting of burgesses to discuss the Property Tax Bill take 3 place this evening.