AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 250, 10 April 1865, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Confkssioh of Cbime. —We republish from the Southern Cross the following piece of police information : —“ A long catalogue of crime was brought l o light yesterday on the confession of a deserter from 40th Regiment, named Wm. Burns. Constable J. M. Morgan arrested the man at a coffee stall near the Wharf, on a charge of breaking out of the Military Stockade at Otahuhu, and on his way to the main-guard, where he was confined as a military prisoner, he confessed to a series of depredations of a most daring character, all of which were at that time unknown to the police. He said he had on the previous evening attempted to steal a bag, since ascertained to have contained a large sum of money, from the till of the Foresters’ Arms public-house, Albert-street; that he had forcibly broken open the till of the bar nnperceived, but as he was leaving the house Mr Sadgrove’s son entered, and seeing the bag in his hand snatched it from him, and he harT to take to his heels. Constable Clarke, after lodging his prisoner in “durance vile,” proceeded to the Forester’s Anns, and found the prisoner’s statement,to be correct. The amount the bag contained is said to have been £BO. The constable returned to his prisoner, and eautionod him. but he nevertheless voluntarily made the following confession : —“ I broke into a contractor’s house, at Big Muddy Creek, in February last, and stole sir check shirts, four flannel shirts, two pair of pantaloons, a three foot rule, and a woollen comforter. In the the same month I broke into a dwelling-house at the Whau, near to Copland’s Whau Hotel, and stole a pair of elastic side boots. 1 ‘stuck-up’ Mr. Unthank between the Whau and Black's mill, and took out of his pockets all that ho possessed] which amounted to some 17s. to 18s. At Mount h-den, f got down the chimney of a dwelling-house, after the only occupant had retired to rest, for 1 had watched the house and knew there was onlv a female within. I ravished the-woman, for the house boiug some distance from any others, her screams were of no avail. I then took all the money I could find, about 305., two blankets, and a pocket-book, which Mr. Justin, the jailer, has since taken from me.” The reason he assigned for this confession was that ho prefers the stockade at Mount Eden to the military stockade, and is willing to undergo a few years’ confinement in this prison, in the hope of getting clear from military service at the expiration of his imprisonment.”

The Right Mbs’ rou the Coeonies.— The Rev. J. O. Kisby, Congregational Minister of Queensland, appealing through the Patriot , for more ministerial help, writes: “ The kind of men required are those who are able to endure some hardship, who are ready of speech, have a good knowledge of their own tongue, some acquaintance with New Testament Greek, who are able to argue the religious questions which agitate the Christian world, such as inspiration of Scripture, the expiatory nature of bur Lord’s snfferingund death, and eternal damnation. For, as I have found these things are debated as keenly in the remote bush as in the ventres of thought. Without a man can argue them in a manly way, without turning up his eyes in pious horror, he is set down as a milksop, and had better stop in England to cuddle by the fire-side. Moreover a minister in these backwoods must be able to hear a volley of oaths without winking, and then lake a suitable time for reproving the swearer. It should be understood that this is a missionary wor.r, therefore sentimental gentleman are at a discount. Be it observed that gentleman with no theology in particular, who can charm the . imagination, who cannot make, Bible truths manifest to the conscience, are better in England, as there are more young ladies there than here.. There is no power in mere poetic fancies to drive away such strong devils as take possession of men’s souls in Queensland. Let no man expect to find in our country towns nice churches, well built houses, and well paved streets. lam at Dalby, which is called the capital of the Darling Downs. There are 700 inhabitant in this town, no made streets at all, no church of any kind in the place. I preach in the Union-hall, which noble building is covered with bark, and lets in the rain in about twenty places. It would not be thought a decent stable in England. On the week-days it is used for a school, a theatre, and a dancing-room. Now brethren, if we go down the well, it is plainly your duty to hold on the rope.”

Melancholy Accident in Cook-street.—A Little Girl Shot by Her Brother. —An accident, of a most distressing character, and -which we regret to state, terminated fatally, occurred in Cooks-treet, on Saturday evening last. The following are the particulars, as near as we can gather them:—About 4 o’clock in the afternoon, a lad, aged nine years, son of Mr John Patterson, residing in Cook-street west, Went to his parents’ bed-room, and took a gun from behind the door, and (lie having previously obtained some caps) commenced to snap them upon the nipple of the gun. He was not aware that the gun was loaded, and three caps were snapped in succession without the gun going off. ■ His sister Mary, aged twelve years, who was in the act of cleaning up the house for Sunday, hearing the caps snapping, proceeded along a passage in the house to check her brother and take the gun from him. Just then he snapped the fourth cap, when the gun went off, and the whole of the charge—-shot—entered the left side of the neck of the little girl, causing a frightful wound, severing all the arteries, jugular vein, and leaders of the neck. The poor thing staggered about two paces and fell, when-death must have been instantaneous, for the gun was so near her that the neck was blackened with powder. Dr Hooper was immediately sent for, hut long ere his arrival life was extinct. The brother and sister were.passionately fond of each other, and upon the former perceiving the mischief he had done, went off into convulsions, and his ravings were so bad that he had to be removed from the house. An inquest will be held upon the body at noon, this day, at the Criterion Hotel, Hobson-' street.— -Ibid.

Attempted Stickino-pp.—Two of the em* plojea in the Herald Office, while wending their way homewards along Chapel-street, about three o clock yesterday morning, were somewhat astonished by a man suddenly rushing upon them out of one of the side passages, and on lookng rjund observed another standing in the shadow <3 the house. The man in the street had mistaken his game for once, as on perceiving a life—pref errer ia the hands of one and a stick in the hands of the other, a view of which he was favoured with, vanished as rapidly as he had appeared. A private watchman coming round the cdrher of the street witnessed the conclusion of rhe affair, and came up immediately, informing the workmen that he had been watching from midnight some three or four suspicous characters moving about in the street, evidently bent on some nefarious scheme. The police had also been on the look-out throughout the night, in the hope of trapping them. The Commissionerof Police in searching the yards in the reap of the premises indicated, found a back apartment, with open door, containing a quantity of goods and clothing, the übsraction of which may possibly have been the “little game” of the ’ vagabonds.— Herald, March 29.