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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1163, 20 April 1872, Page 2

We are reqoested to draw the attention of the Nelson authorities to the state of the bridges over the Twelve-mile Bluff, North Beach. The bridges have been erected some six years, and the piles and planks are fast decaying ; in fact, it is dangerous for footKssengers to cross, and must consequently very dangerous for horses and the packhorses that have to cross every day. We understand that an outlay of a few pounds would put the bridges in a passable state, and we hope that orders for the repair of the. same will be immediately issued, otherwise some serious accident must happen. We have to recoid the sudden death of Mr Edward Norman, the respected proprietor of the United ■ Service Hotel, Queen-street, Auckland. The following is from the Wellington Independent: — "Bigamy is an infrequent crime, comparatively speaking, in most communities; but if we are not misinformed a case of that kind will shortly be tried in Wellington. The conjugal happiness of a couple who for several years have been leading a very quiet and respectable life in this city has suddenly been upset by the appearance of a former husband of the woman. It is said that the case is more the result of mercenary motives than a desire to reinstate the erratic wife, as the couple whose bliss has been so rudely disturbed have amassed a few pounds and a little property, and the deceived husband has an eye to damages." The followiug are a few of the latest crushings and probable results at the Thames :— The Waiternata have 2500z of amalgam from 40 tons of staff; the boxes are not cleaned up. The West Ccast, from 5 tons of trial stuff from ; the Beehive leader, have 104oz hard amalgam. Tookey (Willis's tribute) have broken out a nice parcel of rich stone. The Bright Smile have grassed 151 b of good stone from the main lode. The Prince Im- . perial are getting very rich stone from a vein in the footwall of No 1 leader ; 501 b this week. The Bright Smile got 501 b of specimens last night, with a gdod show. Kelly's tribute crushed 35 tons for 300oz amalgam. The Red, White and Blue crushed 30 tons for foz per ton. The Caledonian, for the | week, have 3370z. The Yankee Doodle crushed 200 tons for 178oz. The Una have 112oz retorted gold for seven days. The California with 25 heads for the fortnight, have 1760z. The All Nations have taken out a nice little parcel of specimens from No 3 leader. About 1 4c wt 'in haud for the fortnight ; the general crmhiig only moderate. On the night of Tuesday, the 26th ultimo, another death by drowning occurred about a quarter of a mile above Mangawhare, Auckland. It appears that a party of five men, in the employ of Mr Ashworth, manager of the Aratapu saw mills, left Mangawhare with the flood tide of the evening above-mentioned, in a boat laden with provisions, &c, intending to proceed up the river some 30 miles, to bring down a raft of timber to Aratupa. Just after leaving, two of them commenced quarrelling and wanting to fight. The others thinking it safer for them to settle iheir difference on land, pulled in towards the shore, and just as the boat touched the bank opposite Farore's cottage engaged in a scuffle, and both went overboard ; one of them, a young man by the name of Eobert Allwright, fell into deep water, and was seen no more ; the other, it seems, fell into shallow water, and was scarcely out of his depth. It was supposed that as the deceased was unable to save himself when so near shore that his clothes got eu : tangled in a snag, there being a large number of trees and stumps in that particular place washed away from the river bank by the action of the tides. The deceased (Allwright is a native of New Zealan ', and his parents reside in or near Auckland. This makes the sixth death by drowning in the Wairoa in about twelve months. ' ' ' The business at the Police Court, Welling--ton, seems to be conducted in a somewhat unusual manner, if we may judge from the Wellington Independent's: report of the pro* ceedings in the case of Alfred Knocks, charged with " conspiring to rob and murder her Majesty'B subjects." The prisoner having been committed for .trial was informed that if he was desirous of being admitted to bail he would be allowed to make application to the Judge in Chambers. Thereupon tbe Inspector of Police, knowing so well the character of the prisoner, and, addressing the prisoner, delivered himself of the following oration, which we quote verbatim from the Independent: — "Knocks, you are one of the greatest young thieves in Otaki ; you have been turned out of your father's house ; you have been tried for horse stealing, though 1 will say you were acquitted ; you have been implicate! in the thieving transactions of the Goodisons ; and altogether, having known you and had my eye on you so long, I think you are one of the most idle, dissolute, and loafing vagabonds in the district." The curious part of the affair is that this occurred at the seat of Government, and is reported in the Government organ without the slightest remark as to the impiopriety committed by the Police Inspector. It is, per- , haps, necessary to mention that the Magisterial Bench was composed of two Justices of the Peace, one of them being of the class bo abundant in Wellington— a Major. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, at Ahaura, on Thursday, before C. Whitefoord, £aq, U.M., a curious case of disputed liability was heard. Messrs Aikin and Magill, storekeepers, at Callaghan and Moonlight Creeks, through their manager, Mr J. W. Jones, sued Walter Burril, a miner, at Callaghan 's, ' for cash lent and - goods j supplied at that place. The defendant holds possession of one of the most valuable mining properties in Callaghan's, but said tli.it his hrother James Burnl, who has been | nl.'sout from New Zealand for two years, is the re-il nwner of the property. He admitted the debe, but stated that the owner of the water-race and claim was not liable, as he, the defendant, was merely representing his brother for a pet centage on the yield of gold. It was alleged for the plaintiffs that part of the cash lent defendant was for the purpose of carrying on legal proceedings in connection with the race and claim, and but for the defendant being the ostensible owner of the property, the goods would not be supplied him. A verdict was given for plaintiffs with costs. — A cause arising out of one of the recent pig-killing cases at Napoleon, came on in the shape of a claim for expenses for attending the last sitting of the Supreme Court, at Uokitika, as a witness for the defendant, who was committed for trial, from the Resident Magistrate's Court at Ahaura. The plaintiff claimed L 9 16s Gd, and the Magistrate gave him a verdipt for

L 8 Is 6d, less the amount already paid here. 1 ; beiug according to the scale of expenses allowed witnesses under similar circum^ stances;— ln the Warden's Court a series of. , disputes and a prayer for the dissolution of the partnership hitherto existing betwejit a company of miners at Half-Ounce occupied ' the attention of the Court for some hours.The litigants were of mixed nationalities—. FrenchVlrlsh, Italians, Spaniards, and English; and his Worship had to.call in the services of- -jin:; interpreter to make peace between; them/ The complainants, u-ged^ that 1 it was a clear case of " incompatability* of temper," and a proper subject for t*ie interference of .the Court. The defendants maintained that they were the injured' parties, and that the "pig-headed" obstinancy of the plaintiffs in insisting on working in acertain part of the claim, which work would endanger the limbs and lives of the whole of .the company, was the cause of the disagreement, and they called witnesses to prove that, so far from being perverse or obstructive towards the rest of the party, they were of the most angelic tempers, and "wouldn't as much as hurt a mosquito." A witness named Ami Voisin was called : among those for the defence, and he explained thathewas called "neighbor" by all the parties to the suit, not because he lived close .by the disputant, qr that he tried to become a peacemaker between them, but because " neighbor" was the English translation of his name. This witness said that if the plaintiffs persisted in taking out the block of ground referred to the safety of the claim and the workers in it would be endangered. The Warden said that the weight of evidence was in favor of the complainants, '• and directed the defendants to find two men to represent their shares to ,the satisfaction of the majority of the shareholders. -If they did not comply with this forder before Monday, the bailiff, wonld sell their shares, and after their proportionate share of the liabilities at present incurred on account of the claim; was liquidated the balance would be given them. — An application for an extended claim at Billy O'Drain's Creek, in the Little Grey district, was granted by the Warden after reading the Government surveyor's report recommending it. A number of other, applications were disposed of, and the Court was adjourned to 25th April. With respect to recent telegrams announcing the probabilities of a bushranging expedition in the North Island, the Independent pays .— " Incredible as it may seem, we fear it is too true that several young men in the Otaki district have been preparing for a bout at bushranging. One of the misguided men is said to be the son of a respectable settler of the district. The facts of the case are simply these. A thieving trio entered into a compact to levy black mail upon the surrounding neighbors, and after deciding upon their line of action provided themselves • with' therVegufor 'outfit of gentlemen of the road, consisting .of arms, masks, and amongst other things some sheepskins for some purpose or another which does not seem very clear. The rendezvous was to have been the Paikakariki Hill. Few people acquainted with the general character of New Zealand, or of the district which was to be the scene of action for these depredations, could not but laugh at the absurdity of any sticker-up long escaping detection ; yet the details have reached us from so many sources that we are compelled to admit there is a show of truth about the different' accounts brought into town. It appears that the matter became known through one of the confederates having relented and giving such information as led to the upsetting of the scheme. It is almost needless to say that the promptest steps arc being taken to have the matter sifted ; and doubtless a day or two at most will place the public in possession of tho names of the suspected persons and tho whole particulars of the case." [The telegraph has since placed us in possession of , the fact of the apprehension of soine-of the parties implicated.] A most atrocious burglary and robbery took place on Sunday morning, says the Timaru Gazette, about four o'clock, at the store now occupied by Messrs Friedlander Brothers, and lately occupied by S. Boyd, Upper Rangitata. From what we can at present learn, two men broke into the store through a large square of glass in the window, and at once proceeded to the bedroom, where Mr Hugo Friedlander, the only occupant on this occasion, was sleeping. He was immediately seized upon, and his money demanded ; he, however, struggled hard for some time, but eventually his feet and hands, were bound 'with flax. The thieves then proceeded to search for the cashbox. Friedlander, by some means, managed to free his hands, and getting his knife from his pocket, cut the flax that bound his feet, thus liberating himself. At this time one of the men ' returned to the room, when, on seeing Fried* ' lander unbonfld?' a struggle ensued, the man ' calling t6 Ms* matie t(T get niore' flax, for the purpose of- again .binding Friedlander; ■ While the man was away for the flax, the other scoundrel fell on the bed, breaking the same down, and sending the cashbox, which was j under the pillow, on the floor. Friedlander was ag&in secured, and the keys abstracted from his pockets. The oashbox was then opened, and rifled of its contents, which consisted of cheques and notes to the amount of about L 62. Information of the robbery was, as quickly as possible, scut to the police station at Temuka, and. Sergeant Quinn at once proceeded to the Rangitata. We learn that Mr Friedlander is a good deal hurt about the neck and chest. This certainly is one of the most daring robberies that has ever taken place in the southern portion of the province, and it is'fco be hoped that the offenders will be speedily brought to justice. The fferaid says the police are on the tracks of the men, one of whom is suspected to be a late hand working on the Rangitata bridge works.