INTERCOLONIAL, NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 158, 17 January 1867, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL, NEWS.

A murderous assault upon a. sergeant of police has been committed in thesiyjeta | of Melbourne.. As Sergeant Pennefether was on night duty in Sw.-wistcvn street, near the corner of Franklin street, a man came up to him, atul asked 'from, what country he come. The officer told him to, go about his business, and recommended him to go home. Upon this the man took a tomahawk from bt-neath his coa.t, and struck at the sergeant, who, raising his arm to ward of the blow, received a severe gash on the hand, one of his fingers being nearly severed. The ruffian then aimed a blow at the head of the officer, and inflicted a deep wound, upon which he made off, leaving his victim in a state of unconsciousness. Pennefethor shortly afterwards sufficiently came to his, senses to get up, and endeavored to make his. way to the hospital, but being still bewildered from the effect of the blow, he took the wrong direction, and went on till he got to the Lamb Inn, Little Latcobe street. Here he called for assistance, which was at once rendered to him, and he was conveyed to the hospital. Inf oj - matiou of the occurrence was speedilycirculated, and when the news reached the police-station at Fitzroy, it was found that the same man had in the meantime beeri apprehended by another' constable after a desperate struggle. He is. a foreigner and unknown. ; ■ ' ' Information readied Sandhurst on Monday, December 17th, says the Independent, of a fearful tragedy. ■ ■" A. butcher in Elysian Flat had some fine beef stolen on Saturday forenoon, and. having reason to suspect a man in the neighborhood, sent for Mounted-constable Brown, of Raywood. The butcher and trooper went together to the hut of .the suspected person, and finding him at home told him the object of their visit, but certainly were not prepared for what followed. The man on whom they had called, no sooner heard the. charge, than with a convulsive gasp or two, he fell dead at their feet. The accuser and the policeman were ■horror-struck ; and if it were jwssibie for them to derive any consolation on finding such a result following their visit, the fact of what was believed to be the missing meat being found in the hut may have supylied it in some degree." A recent ' telegram froth Brisbane anuounces the sudden death, in consequence ■ of a fall from a horse j of a. man whose name is indissolubly connectsd with the colonies, the Hon. ' John D. M'Lean, Colonial Treasurer for Queensland. In a notice of his. death, the Melbourne Anpis' says :— "Dr. M'Lean was "a native of the: Island of Skye, /which he left very, early in youth, landing in Sydney about thirty : years ago ■;. and having been preceded by a- brother, who was then and afterwards ; ■a. successful squatter, but who' died many years ago,. Mr.; M.Lean succeeded to: Iris brothers property,.; and in course of years continued to; -.extend his -business as a squatter, especially in* Queensland; until ; he became the largest pwner of station/

,proijert|.,in that young colony. He took ; oip|lanU(M;here. some twelve or fourteen years ago; sand in 1860, after the separa^ ! ' ■tioh bf^ueenslandi and" the first Parlia- 'jJ ment^ofilie new C(fcony had met, he be= ;..<■, came the first purchaser of a squatting run ; f from the Queensland^ Government at the • ■ upset price of Ll per fts>e. Having soniQ ; years previously., entered; into -partnership ] with Mr. William Bejij (the firm being ; McLean and Beit), their operations lafe^ j ' terly became almost grirantic and b,eißl^ ? ' \ msuiftged with great Scagitfeity, Mr M'lleau' : amassed a large • fortiftie. . Although ] closely attached to Queensland, info .') M'Lean had resided mostljftat Sydney for- j the Jast two or three years.! JELe hiid built f for himself a vo.ry tine umiSipn — which he named Qnitaingj after»i;|||turesquQ \ : -t spot in his native island— ; »ti\i|(Bd on tho A Edgecliff road, and formingV|ui&ist strik- ,jM ing feature in the landscap^Xto'fthe voy- fl a§er up .Sydney harbor. Hflrf^iiiKjeceived_ ■Ji hip friends with great hosprmjSjffaml' T drew around hun a, numerous and warmly | attfiphed civcle," ' ..^ r .r. ., M The Melbourne coiTespondentV;(^lfclie :1 Daily Times writes: — '' We hiivfe||iacl I some serious fires in the nGighb(^S^i|;of I the city during the last few dayj^pn(e;'!of < the worst causing the destriic^^ij'pf a. ] a blopk of some- ten or twelviipjiises, j situated near the Junction Ho^fiji' tius ■' ! fashionable suburbs of St. Kip|ps&> ! lives were lost, however, and the p^feipa^-^ sufferers by the several calamities wlfebe \ the companies with which %l\e valSns propei-tieg destroyed were insured. %n the very centre of Melbourne tli^e.lm bep.n a very narrow escape frbpii^fat wquld no doubt have proved a Mf^, tensive acgiduiit of the kind, buo ffs|tunately, the outbreak of the lire^was'^i!-. covered before thp destructive had had time to get thorough hold of the highly inflamable materiil^ in.^e^minediate neighborhood of itthich it|e^ffiß||'i'. ;■ veied, and extinguished. There iWpM i deal of mystery hanging j&out this f|^ the particulars of which, so far as "tliey have transpired up to the present titupj are briefly hs follow. In Collins street ' west a lew doors only from its junction with Elizabeth street, arts sit\ia.te^liie premises of Mr Stephens, a bookspOifir;, wro, after carrying on business there i i I |oj'; two or three years, failed recently ffitJil> Jarge sum of L10;000, his Hvailable^lt^ being somewhere about L3OOO. P^lio; estate wsis placed in the hands oftras&ej^ but Mr Stephens, who appears nytMli.have been >1 together satistied witl^^!isi aiTangement, subsequently ai)peal|K^ the Insolvent Court, and tiled his'Wllll dv.le. Disputes then arose as to thi^l/ sossion of the. stock and pi-eniises^pl|? •business having been carried on w^K|?r interruption during the whole tuue)flj|pf '. quite recently Mr Stephens oydered)|^^:' an assistant placed in the cstabii^^pl: by the trustees. The Litter person j|||pt,' : ovex, having received instructionsjflln^ the authorities of the Insolvent Ool|§psy act on thesiy behalf, again iqok upli^^K^ v upan the promises. Matters were |tf|S : ! this,' not very pleasant position yvhl'^^p •! the morning of the 17th ultimo, tiie^K ? i | sistantrefen'edito, on hi? arrival at till ! i^i shop, for the purpose of opening it &m\ H'| proceeding with the business of the'^fe^- W was met at ths-dp<ir by a dens,e. volunlpif^M: 'i; smoke, whicn was subsequently fo^p '/.N to originate froui a wooden struc^pp'pU .' under which a gas-burner was '^'S^^M 5 -^ I a-liglit, and, as it would gee-ms purpo^sip; I turned so that it would set fire to'tlo-) : : '^ stairs, a portion sf which iiad comniencedj: ; ;S| to take lire. No time was lust in pr<||f ■'- A^cntingtho smi-kul c:f the mischief, butW/l. was thon discovered that a.n irou safe, fflp^ ? | wliich had been deposited some L 39 ridd^'V' in notes, cheqiuis, and gold, had beei|- :i £'. opened, smd tho mp.ney ftxtra^ted. Thif: ■ most curious part of tho business is, th#w;the safe had been unlocked, and <nsi ; 'X ; ; ' forced in any way, .while tlie lock itselfVi; i\ was (jf a nature so intricate that it would):! f; scarcely have, been . op.enod except bytafii:person well acqu;iinted with its managefil : -"V meut. The only key tp the safe kaiow^p to be in existence by the trustees wasin^ ' the hands of the young man by whom thejli'.- 1 hre and vobbery were disQOverod ; but j&s\ turntsd out subsequently that Mr •Si&l'i'v ■■■-.■ phens had retained a duplicate key in his,^' possession, whiph, however, he states that]^ • he lost, together with oilier keys, several/, v days before the fire. An enquiry inta • tlie circumstances of thismysterbus &SaM^ ■• was commenced before the coroner and a~ %6 ': ; :■• a jury yesterday, and, after the examina^. '■'■ '-. '^ tion of aoveral witnesses., ■ ad^ounied 1 w|ti^ ; ;H ";$ Thursday noxt. ; . : • ' ? ■ 'W&