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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 850, 18 April 1871, Page 2

The s,s. Murray left the wharf yesterday morning, for Westport and Nelson. Thes.s. Rangitoto, with the Suez English mail, is now fully due, and may be looked for at any moment. The Colonial Government's p.s. Luna, which arrived in the roadstead on Sunday afternoon, steamed over the bar yesterday morning at eight o'clock, aud made fast alongside the wharf. She is from Dunedin, via the Bluff and Martiu's Bay, but she did not succeed in making the entrance of the river in consequence of the heavy sea running. She remained in the vicinity of the Bay for three days, but as she could not succeed in landing her passengers, they were brought on here, and it is likely that they will be sent down by the next trip of the ss. Waipara. The Luna took in a cargo of coal yesterday, and ia in readiness to convey the Governor on to Wellington, which she will most probably do on Thursday. On Sunday, the 26th March, a piece of wreck, apparently portion of the wheelhouse or roundhouse of a large vessel, was picked up at Ohariu Bay. Some smaller pieces of wreck were also found on the beach, whith had, apparently, formed part of cabin fittings. The whole had evidently been in the water a considerable time, and it is just possible that it is a relic of the missing steamer City of Dunedin, which was supposed to have been wrecked in that neighborhood. t Intelligence has reached Napier that the cutter Charlotte, from Lyttleton, bound to Napier, with a cargo of oats and flour, got ashore on the beach at Wakaki, twelve miles north of Wairoa. Her cargo is said to be considerably damaged. The finding adopted by the Victorian Navigation Board was to the effect that the accident to the Claud Hamilton arose from the gross carelessness of the third engineer, who neglected during his watch to keep the port boiler properly supplied with water. The Board further intimated that had Wilson been in possession of a certificate, it would have been suspended for twelve months. A Wellington contemporary informs us that the Virago is under immediate orders for England, and was to sail for Sydney en route. The same paper also informs us that the Clio has been in dock in Sydney, but on examination the injuries she had leceived were found to be so much more extensive than was anticipated that Commodore Stirling hesitated about incurring the expense, as well as the risk of placing her hors de combat for a considerable period under present circumstances, aud has accordingly written to England for instructions pending the arrival of which the Clio will remain in Sydney harbor. The Williamstowa Totice Court was occupied recently in investigating] the case of a seaman named John Williamson, who was brought before Messrs Mollison andM'Callum on remand, charged with stabbing his shipmate, Henry Rock (formerly connected with the p.s. Despatch), in Hobson's Bay, on the morning of the 26th ult. The prisoner had been remanded twice to await the attendance of Rock, who was unable to leave the Melbourne Hospital, on account of the injuries he had received. The prosecutor, ou being sworn, stated that he and Williamson had been seamen together in the schooner Storm King. On the evening of the 25th tilt, they came on shore at Williamstown together about 7 o'clock, and remained drinking for some time at the Barkly Arms Hotel. They left the hotel about 12 o'clock, and went to the railway pier and got into the boat, accompanied by a man whose name witness could not remember, but who was second officer on board the Sarah Ann. The prisoner was drunk, but witness and the other man were quite sober. On getting into the boat the prisoner laid himself down in the stern-sheets, and the prosecutor and his companion took to the oars, and pulled towards the Sarah Ann, which was lying at anchor about a mile and a-half from the lightship towards St. Kilda. When the second officer was placed on board his vessel, witness turned the boat towards his own schooner, the Storm King, in Hobson's Bay ; and as tbere was a fair wind from the south, he stood up in the stern and sculled his boat along. While he was doing this the prisoner frequently inteifered with him, and more than once knocked the oar out of the rowlock. Twice he rose up and attempted to take the oar away ifrom Rock, who finally caught him by the beard aud dragged him down upon the seat. Williamson theu lay still for about twenty minutes or half an hour, when he got up, as the prosecutor alleged, in a quiet manner, and asked him to assist in rowing the boat to the schooner, which was now close by. Prosecutor complied with the request, and gave Williamson ■an oar ; but as he turned bis back to look ahead for the schooner, the prisoner plunged a knife into the back of the man's neck. The wounded man rushed upon the prisoner, and a struggle took place which lasted several minutes, Rock screaming "murder," and holding on to the prisoner, who was cutting at him all the while with his knife. It appears that during the struggle Williamson inflicted upon Rock no less than seven wounds. Two shirts worn by prosecutor at the time were exhibited in Court. They were smeared with blood, and were cut into pieces about the arms and shoulders. When Rock was almost faint from the loss of blood, the prisoner got up, and prosecutor then noticed that he had thrown away the knife. Williamson asked prosecutor to forgive him for what he had done, and when Rock implored him to exert himself to reach the schooner, he took hold of an oar, and assisted to bring the boat alongside the vessel. Witness got on board, and related what had happened, and the chief officer sent Rock away in charge of two other seamen_ to the Nelson, lying close by, for medical aid ; but there was no surgeon on board, and he was taken to Williamstown. There Dr Figg dressed his wounds, and he was subsequently brought back to the schooner. The surgeon's evidence showed that none of the wounds were of a dangerous character. The one at the back of the neck was a somewhat serious one, bat> happily, i the knife had not come m conbacb wibh any of the principal blood vessels or the result would have been fatal. On being asked by the Bench if he desired to make any statement, the prisoner remarked that both he and Rock were drunk- at the time they fought in the boat, and that the prosecutor had struck him some severe blows which made him insensible. The prisoner was committed for trial at the Criminal Sessions, to be held in Melbourne within the next fortnight— -Daily Telegraph.