INTERCOLONIAL NEWS,

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 820, 14 March 1871, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

A sorrowful romance of the Australian bush is told in a few short words by the New South Wales Police Gazette:— "On the 4th ult. the body of a man in an advanced state of decomposition was found on the Willurah run, South-western district. The body presented no marks of violence ; it was wrapped in a blanket, and from the position in which it was found, deceased is believed to have made his bed, lain down, and died in his sleep. Description : About sixty years of age, sft 6in or 7in high, grey hair and whiskers, bald on top of head, small features; dressed in a light hollaud coat, lightcolored tweed trousers, shirt, and fiannel. A pair of tweed trousers? and a black alpaca coat were lying under the body ; 7s 6d was found in deceased's coat pocket, and a cigar-case containing eight onepound notes was found close to the body. There was also some tea, sugar, bread, and meat found close to the spot. From subsequent enquiries made by the police, deceased is believed to be identical with Frank Evans, who left Eurolie station on the 24th January, with the intention of proceeding to tne Lodden River, for the purpose of meeting a daughter whom he expected from Eugland. While at the Eurolie station Evans complained of pains in his left side, loss of appetite, etc, and when leaving was paid off with eight one-pound notes."

At the Belfast Circuit Court, last week, W. Bates was tried for assaulting with criminal intent a young girl named Carrol, near Portland. He was found guilty and sentenced to three years' imprisonment. He had* only been a few days out of prison, having served a sentence of a year's imprisonment for a similar offence. " The young rascal will be known by many in this district " (says the Cokraine Albion), " as a jockey a long time in the employ of Mr James Wilson, and especially in connection with the celebrated horse Ebor. That horse was being trained for one of the great races of the day, wheu he most unaccountably fell lame. Wilson could find nothing the matter, but one morning, entering the horse's box suddenly, he found Bates lying on the ground, and with a short stick continually tapping the cannon bone of the horse's fore leg, by which process the animal was lamed, but no mark of injury was apparent. As may be supposed, Bates caught it pretty smartly, and was kicked out of the stable. Judging by his subsequent career, we should say he was a fair candidate for the gallows."

"On "Monday, the lad Thomas Wood was charged before the Hamilton Bench," reports the Spectator, " with shooting at another boy named Christopher Cooke It appeared from the evidence of a number of boys, who had walked out on Sunday week to Pierrepoint with the defendant, that Wood had with him an old pistol. The weapon was damaged in the lock, and went off once accidentally in the hands of young Cooke. Subsequently, as the boys were returning home, Wood, who was walking in the rear, had the pistol in his hand, and the contents lodged in the shoulders of Master Cooke. It appeared that the occurrence was accidental, and the defendant, when aware of the mischief he had done, broke the pistol on a stone. The Bench took a lenient view of the case, and after defendant had been remanded for a couple of hours to the lock-up, he was fined Is, with 5s costs, for carrying firearms on a Sunday. The injuries sustained by the boy who was hurt were not of a serious character."

The action brought by John Chandler against the Melbourne and Hobson'o Bay Railway Company to recover L 2500 damages for injuries sustained by the plaintiff through a collision between two of the company's trains, at North Sandridge, on the night of the 25th April last, was resumed on the 3rd instant, before the Chief Justice and a jury of ten. After a retirement of about two hours, the jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff, damages LIOOO. The case will now have to be argued in banco, his Honor having reserved leave to the defendants to move to enter a verdict in their favor on the point that a company is not responsible for injuries done to a servant through the negligence of a fellow-servant.

A case which, as reported by the Aramt Advertiser, wears the appearance of cruel neglect, has occurred recently. A dying lunatic named John Rowland Powell, was sent by the authorities of St. Arnaud to Ararat Asylum one day last week, travelling the whole distance of 70 miles under a broiling sun, and in the bottom of a spring-cart. He died within about 24 hours after arrival. In finding that death was due to disease of the brain and lungs, the jury expressed their surprise that the authorities of St. Arnaud should have sent the deceased on such a journey, and in such weather, when he must have been in a dying condition at the time of leaving. The Coroner also intimated that the verdict in this case would be brought under the notice of the Solicitor-General.

"After a period of unusual depression," says the Geelong Advertiser, "it appears that a fair demand for colonial tweeds has again sprung up, and recently some considerable sales of Geelong manufacture have been effected at satisfactory prices. Considerable injury, has been done to the native product on many of the gold fields townships by the inferior imported article being palmed off on the inhabitants, at an extravagant price, as genuine Geelong tweed."

The Bendigo Advertiser says : — " A private letter received in Sandhurst on Saturday from an old resident of Bendigo, dated from Tambaroora, New South Wales, says that Kranmer's claim on Hawkins' Hill, at that place, is turning out splendidly, 3cwt of gold having been obtained without crushing. The lucky partners (four) have been offered LIO,OOO a man for their shares, but they declined to sell, and the offer, without avail, was subsequently increased $o L 12,000. 'Northumberland Jemmy,' who works as a 'hatter,' is reported to have crushed rubbish turning out 3oz 19dwt per ton, and has got 481 b weight of gold. The remaining stuff is expected to go Boz or 9oz to the ton."

The Riverine Herald, congratulates Echuca on ihe destruction of that dangorom cfintuvance, the derrick crane, on the wharf. It says : — " We say we are now done with this crane, because so complete has been the smash that we have this time to record, that we refuse to believe that any man out of Bedlam would be mad enough to cause it to be reerected. On Friday afternoon, between four and five o'clock, four men, named respectively Manning, Boyle, Judd, and Lackington, were engaged in hoisting

piles. Two men were on a barge, 30ft below the wharf, slinging them, and close by the crane were standing two or three 1 * lookers on, including Mr Gordon, the police magistrate at Deniliquin, and Mr Wilson, of the Town 13 all Hotel, Echuca. A pile had been slang, and just as it was raised clear of the water, the entire crane, derrick, sheer-legs and all, gave way, and fell with a tremendous crash, the main body of it on the decks of the wharf, where the force of its fall was sufficient to break several of the heavy 4 x 6 gum planks, of which the platform is constructed, and another portion of it, consisting of the top half of the jib, which was broken in a long splinter from near the centre, over the side of the wharf, where it ie now suspended by its gear a miserable wreck.

A disastrous fire occurred at the farm and homestead belonging to Mr George Wilson, and occupied by Mr Holmes, between Sunday Creek and Sandy Creek. Everything was destroyed. The amount of loss (says the Kilmore Guardian) is not, yet ascertained.

The Northern Queensland Telegraph Line is said to be now completed for a distance of fifty miles from Cardwell towards JN ormantown. This, though a local undertaking (observes the Port Denison Times), is one in which all Australia is interested, as it will be a link in the chain of communication with England. The work is also being commenced at the Gulf end. The distance across from sea to sea is about 360 miles, and the work will probably be finished in about three or four months, and almost certainly by the middle of the year. The English company that provides the submarine cable has completed the communication between Singapore and Batavia, and it is expected, by this time has also laid the cable from Madras to Singapore, across the Bay of Bengal. If that feat has been successfully accomplished, then Batavia is at thii moment in telegraphic communication with Asia, Europe, and America, and we may say that the news of the world is brought to our doors.

The following is a description of the race for the Criterion Handicap of 150 so vs., which was won by Nimblefoot at the Geelong meeting : — The flag fell to a shocking bad start, Baron leadiug by two lengths as they rose the hill, Dutchman, Nimblefoot, Romula, Foam, Mermaid and Monkey following in the order named. Approaching the road Dutchman went up to Baron, and the two rattled on a dozen lengths in front of the others, until reaching the straight, when Flying Dutchman took the command, which he maintained past the stand, Baron running second, Nimblefoot third, Romula fourth, Monkey fifth, and Mermaid and Foam in the rear. Going along the far side of the course the colors of Nimblefoot were seen gradually making their way to the front, and disposing of Baron without an effort. He caught the Dutchman before descending the hill, and, running well within himself, led by nearly a dozen lengths into the straight ; and, though young Wilsan worked his hardest on the filly, the result was never in doubt, and Nimblefoot won easily by a couple of lengths ; Romula second, and Foam, who was running 100 yards behind at the back of the course, came along at a great bat, and finished third ; Monkey fourth. Time, smin 45sec.

A very serious and almost fatal accident (reports the Avoca Mail) occurred to a miner named Gouge recently. Walking homeward from the Melbourne and Avoca Company's ground, Gouge, who is a man well stricken in years, stumbled in the darkness into an abandoned shaft, about 100 ft deep. Having remained senseless in the shaft for some considerable time, he succeeded in attracting the attention of some miners working near at hand. Brought to the surface, the old Man was found to be rather seriously injured, but is expected to recover under careful treatment.

The Pleasant Greek News learns that " a new rush has taken place to ground I situated on the boundary between McMillan's and Dennis's stations, on the Dog Trap Creek. Gold haa been procured in the same neighborhood before, and we believe the ground now opened is very promising looking. The discoverers are A. Robertson and party, who found a nugget of 2oz 6dwt in the shaft. A prospecting claim was registered in their names. The sinking if from 35ft to 40ft in depth, and the washdirt from 14in to loin thick. There is no cement. The gold is described as being shotty. About 100 people are on the ground." " On Saturday last," says the Kilmore Free Press, "an engine-driver named Sawer was admitted into the Kilmore Hospital, suffering from injuries received whilst in charge of a traction engine employed at Smokey Creek. It appears from the statement of the injured man, as well as others who were present, that j the engine started off without any appa- | rent cause, and the man got his legs entangled therein and both broken. With extraordinary presence of mind, the man, even after . this dreadful occurrence, reversed the crank, and thus saved himself from being drawn further into the works and crushed to death. The man is now progressing favorably." The BaUarat Star reportt that "an inquest was held at Napoleon Lead, on a skeleton found in the bush, by a farmer named Garlick, on the 21st February, on the Burnt Mile Ranges. It seems he was going home through the scrub, when he was attracted by seeing a boot, and, upon looking further he saw some bones on the ground. He at once gave information to Constable Nairn, who, obtaining a horse and cart, and with Garlick, fetched in the remains. These were lying ou their face resting on a rotten swag. On removing the skull they fouud a razor lying open across the throat, and a black silk necktie which had evidently been round the neck.- The swag was tied up with rope and a strap, and it contained shavingbox and soap, razor-strop, comb, lookingglass, a threepenny piece, towel, and other clothes which could not be distinguished. There was nothing to lead to identification. Dr. Jones stated that deceased must have been dead and exposed for at least four years. Verdict ' We have nothing to show how or by what means deceased came by his death.' " The Chinese lotteries, from existing only in isolated shops in Little Bourkestreet, have now spread to almost every Celestial place of business in that thoroughfare, and have even extended to the suburbs. They are said to be supported by wealthy Chinese merchants, who furnish the money necessary to establish a bank, viz., L3OO, and appbint agents, who conduct the lottery business, receiving a commission for their services.