THE The Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 592, 2 November 1869, Page 2

THE The Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1869.

A private letter, received by a gentleman in town from Christchurch yesterday, contains the pleasing intelligence that the sharelist of the Grey Coal Mining Company ia being rapidly filled uj, the capitalists there being satisfied with the spirited manner in which the residents in Greymouth have taken up the matter. It is expected that the whole of the Christchurch. portion of the shares will be taken up within the next few days. The nomination of candidates for the two vacant seats for the Grey district in the Nelson Provincial Council takes place at Cobden to-day at noon. It is expected that four candidates will be nominated. A monster sweepstake on the Melbourne Cup (400 members at 5s each) is announced to be drawn at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, as soon as the list filled up. The monthly meeting of the Volunteer fire Brigade last evening lapsed, owing to the small number of members present. Although it was currently rumored at the time, we have been informed that the announcement we made last week of the refusal of the Bank of New Zealand to give any further advance to Westland was premature. The final answer with regard to the loan has not yet arrived from Auckland. All who are interested in getting up the usual sports during the Christmas week, are requested to meet at Gihner's Hotel, on Wednesday evening. A correspondent at Wellington states that wheu Tanroa and his party of rebel prisoners were embarked at Patea, Capt. Fairchild, of the Sturt. intimated to the old chief by a pantomimic description of hanging what his fate would be. Iv Tauroa's minute account of events in the Court, the incident with all the accompanying gestures faithfully repeated, was given by the old chief to the amusement of the Court. It evidently left a very unpleasant impression on Tauroa's mind. The pulling in the election of a Superintendent for the Province of Nelson took place yesterday. The voting at the Cobden polling-booth was as follows :— Curtis, 13 ; Gibbs, 7 ; Akersten and Horn, 0. A supplementary English mail will be despatched to Hokitika to catch the s.s. Tararua, this morning, at ten o'clock. A very severe duststorm was experienced in the city of Hob-vrt Town on the 26th September, enveloping the town for several hours, and penetrating into the houses, through every crevice and cranny. The West Coast Times records with expressions of pleasure, the fact of the appointment of Mr Rochfort, our late engineer, to a better position, at least in a remunerative sense, than the one he held here. He has, we are informed on reliable authority, been selected as chief engineer and surveyor for the Hawke's Bay Province, at a much higher salary than that which he received from the County. Although it is to be deeply regretted that untoward circumstances have caused the County to lose the services of so qualified an engineer, yet we feel certain that the good wishes of all right-minded men will follow Mr Rochfort to his new home. Had he not received his present appointment it had been determined by the electors in the Kanieri district to request him to be put in nomination for the representation of that district in the County Council. The Wellington Evening Post of October 19 says :--" A case of awfully sudden death occurred this morning about ten o'clock. A man named Hughes, apparently in his usual health, was walkiug along in front of the watermen's 'gridiron,' when he suddenly dropped, and ou being picked up was found to be quite dead. He was carried iuto the Pier Hotel, and efforts at resuscitation made, but he never showed a sign of life after he fell. Had a bullet passed through his brain, deatli could not have been more instantaneous. Heart disease was the cause of death." A woman named Catherine Redmayne, living in a small cottage on Preston Road, was found dead in her bed on Sunday morniug, un-Jer circumstances which led to a magisterial enquiry being held yesterday by Mr W. H. Harrison, J.P. From the facts elicited it appeared that the deceased was enciente, but persistently denied the fact. On Saturday evening she called on business at the house of Mr Badger, and was there taken ill with pains, which she said wj.s colic. Dr Smith was called in against her wish, and what afterwards happened we may state in his words: — "On Saturday night after ten o'clock I was called to Mr Badger's house to see the deceased, Catherine Redmayne. She was suffering from some slight paiu ; she said she had taken chlorodyne, but it had not relieved her as usual. From what I saw I believed she was pregnant. I told her so, and she said she hoped not. I asked if it could be possible, and she gave me the same answer. I wished to examine her, but she would not allow me. 1 recommended her removal home, where she woidd be more comfortable. I heard her moaning from pain at regular intervals. I left, and at twelve o'clock Mr Badger saw me at Dr Morice's, and told me he thought she had taken a fit. I went to the house, and found her sitting on the floor, quite sensible, with a good pulse, and no sighs of having a fit. Mr Wood was with her, and I sent him out of. the room, and insisted on examining her,

1 found that she was pregnant, but could not say she was actually iv labor, although I suspected it. I then recommended that she should be carried home, and Ash ton's express was fetched by Mr Badger. Mr Wood said she had a comfortable home, and would be best there. I told him if he wanted me through the night he was not to hesitate iv coming for me. I also told him the deceased: was pregnant, and he replied he thought not, that he had known her to have such attacks, and was always large that way. I did not see her again until she was dead, when I called in the morning. Deceased smelt of drink and chlorodyne ; I did not for a moment think she was intoxicated. It was quite safe to remove her at the time it was done. When I Baw the deceased next morning in Wood's house on Preston Koad I found her lying in bed, her brain evidently congested and her tongue bitten, as if she had died in a fit. On examination 1 found that the first stage of labor had taken place. The child was dead at the time. I have frequently seen the deceased the worse for drink. When I found her in the morning she was not undressed." From other witnesses it was elicited that Mr Wood sat up with the deceased until three o'clock on Sunday morning, when, as she fell off into a sound sleep, and appeared to be in the same condition as he had often seen her before, lie left for his own hut. At seven o'clock he called her, but got no answer, and entered, when he saw that she was either dead or dying. He immediately called assistance. A pofit mortem examination was made by Drs. Morice and Lee, and their evidence went to prove that the immediate cause of death was effusion of blood on the brain induced by excessive labor-pains, accelerated by previous drinking habits. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with the medical testimony. A correspondent writes us complaining of the manner in which the boatmen at the Upper Ferry waylay passers-by near the Post Office, and almost insist on carrying them to Cubden, whether they have business there or not, and the disputes which take place with regard to the fares charged. He suggests that the fare should be fixed by the Borough Council when it issues the men's licenses, and that the watermen should take the passengers in rotation. We confess we have not seen much cause for the complaint. A little competition infuses spirit even into the boating business, and the smartest man wins. A serious accident occurred to constable John O'Gorman of the Nelson constabulary force, on Wednesday evening about half -past eight o'clock. He had been to Napoleon's on duty, and was returning to the station at the Ahaura, and while descending the steep cutting into the east crossing of Orwell creek, about a mile from the Ahaura, it beiug a very dark evening, it is supposed that in order to avoid the precipice on the one side of the track, he kept too close to the embankment on the other, and the consequence was his foot struck against a stump or a boulder, an<l threw him out of the saddle. When he attempted to rise he found he was unable to do so, and he might have lain on the track all night, but fortunately a man from the dairy on the plains came past on his way into town, and after placing the sufferer in a place of safety, he reported the matter at the Ahaura. The constable was brought iv and Dr Cooke was sent for, when it was found that the right leg was badly fractured immediately above the ancle. There is much sympathy expressed for Mr O'Gorman, who is very popular in the district, and he has the best wishes of every one for his speedy recovery. A cricket match was to be played on Saturday the 23rd ult. at the Barracks, Auckland, between an eleven of Auckland and one of Hokitika ; and, should the weather prove favorable, some good play may be anticipated. Auckland will be represented by Messrs Mumford, Lankham, Toppin, Horan, Morgan, Keleher, Cotton, Daubeney, Dargaville, Hooley, and Robinson. Hokitika, by Rees, Pocock, sen. ; Pocock, juu. ; Bowen, Fisher, Mace, Bennett, Leigh, Laishley, Jacomb, and Tyler. As far as we can judge the two elevens are well matched, although the odds are slightly in favor of the Southern province's team. Great interest is manifested by the partisans of the respective elevens, oue Auckland gentleman having staked 150 scrip iv a well-known claim on the result. At last there appears to be some prospect of the Westland Board of Education taking action with regard to the expenditure of the vote of the County Council. A meeting having been called, to be held at Hokitika on Thursday next. Now that the resignation of the local School Committee has been accepted, it is the duty of the citizens to hold a public meeting for the election of their successors, belore the meeting of the Board is held. It iBto be hoped our new Mayor will take action in the matter ere it is too late. Another case of drowning is reported by the Southern Cross, as having occurred on the Waikato River, on the 19th Oct.— On the trip of the steamer Bluenose from Alexandra to Mercer, with about fifty of the Thames militia and volunteers on board, when between Whatawhata and Karakariki, one of the militiamen, Henry Crew, of Onehunga, who came on board very much the worse for liquor, fell over the starboard bow, immediately forward the sponson. It i 8 more than probable that he was struck by the paddle-wheel. The buoys were instantly thrown after him, and one of his comrades who was at the time in the dingy towing astern, the boat being at once let go, pulled after him, but I am sorry to say could not save him from a watery grave, the poor fellow having sunk before the boat reached the spot. A meeting convened by the Mayor, J. Kilgour, Esq., on a requisition, signed by all the leading mercantile firms in town and other influential citizens, was held last evening at the Town Hall, to take into consideration the proposed reduction of the overland mail service between Westland and Christchurch. Some misunderstanding appeared to exist in the minds of the nieoting as to whether any alteration could take place until

after the 30th June, 1870, but it transpired that Cobb and .Co. 's contract terminates on the 31st December, and although the meeting had no positive information to go upon, it was inferred that the General Government had communicated with the Provincial Government of Canterbury and the County Chairman, with the view of substituting a weekly for the present bi-weekly service. Messrs Harrison, Girdwood, Maclean and Payne addressed the meeting, and it was unanimously resolved that a Committee of six gentlemen, with power to add to their number, be appointed to ascertain the facts of the case, and to protest on behalf of the people of Greymouth against the proposed or contemplated reduction. As the abolishment of the subsidies to the mail steamers will materially Jiffect the mail commuuication between Westlaud and Australia, and that the mails will in all probability have to come via Christchurch, it was felt by the meeting that under the circumstances the bi-weekly service was essential to the commercial interests and public convenience of Westland. A vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the proceedings. The Wellington Independent of the 21st inst. says : We learn that Captain Gordon, late of H.M. 65th Regiment, has just ridden through alone from Wanganui to Taranaki, stopping at Patea on the road. He slept at Native pahs, and associated freely among the Maoris along the coast, whom he found uniformly kind, peaceable and civil. From another source we learn that Mr Kelly, M.H.R., is at Opunaki, arranging with the natives there for the erection of a flax mill. The introduction of industries such as these will do more towards securing the permanent peace of the native country than a dozen regiments of soldiers. A clever capture of an escaped prisoner in Otago is thus reported by the Otago Daily Times : — Considerable excitement was caused in Tapanui on the morning of Thursday last by the circulation of a rumor that a prisoner had escaped from the lock-up there. It appears, says the local correspondent of the Bruce Herald, that in consequence of a communication received from Invercargill, a man named Loftus was appiehended here, about the beginning of the week, for wife desertion. On the morning in question, and previous to leaving with his prisoner, Constable Purdue had requested him to clean out the cell. Having done so, and pretending to carry away the water he had used, Loftus dashed down his bucket and with a few bounds succeeded in reaching the bush before the constable could overtake him. Assistance was procured and a diligent search made, but no trace of the prisoner could be found owing to the (Tenseness of the scrub. Having been baffled in this, Mr Pardue had his horse brought out, and had all the settlers living within a radius of ten miles informed of the prisoner's escape and description before evening. Returning home and having changed his horse, Mr Purdue again set out, and on reaching Tuapeka Mouth, his diligence was rewarded by . capturing the prisoner there in a digger's tent. The same evening Loftus was safely lodged in his seemingly disliked quarters, the Tapanui gr-01, where a closer watch will be kept over him..