THEATRE ROYAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 447, 17 January 1867, Page 2

THEATRE ROYAL.

Mr T. S. Keaip’s benefit took place in the above place of amusement on Tuesday night last. The attendance was, if anything, better than on the occasion of Mr Newtoivs benefit, but not nearly so large as might have been expected. As we said in our last, the pieces were judiciously selected; we have now to add that they were performed in a manner that has been unsurpassed in Napier. Mrs Newton especially took her parts in a remarkably precise manner. A new local song by Mr AVhitty, elicited loud applause. Those who did visit the! Theatre on Tuesday night had not, wej venture to say, iuucli to grumble about except perhaps the distance they bad) to walk home. Auent that, we are! glad to be in a position to iii Ann Na-| pier play-goers that the next perf>rra-i ance will take place in the Masonic | Hall, and will be for the benefit of Mrs' \V. H. Newton. The niece selected: is the great, French play of “ Plotj and Passion,” and will come oil on! Wednesday evening next. !

Theatrical. —Mr and Mrs Charles Poole, who have been performing to crowded houses in Auckland lately, were in Napier for a few hours on Tuesday last. We have been reriuested to state that Mr and Mrs Poole will visit Napier in a few weeks, and will, in conjunction with Mr and Mrs \V. H. Newton, and Mr Kemp, give six performances in the Masonic Hall, provided they receive sufficient encouragement from the drama-loving portion of the Napier public. We may add that Mr and Mrs Poole’s performances are highly spoken of in the Auckland papers.

Fatal Accident at Wairoa.— We regret to learn that a fatal accioccurred at Wairoa on New Years Day, to a man named Pain Blane, better known as “French John.” It would appear that he was in the act of catching his mare, when she suddenly turned upon him and kicked him violently in the stomach. Medical attendance was immediately procured, but tiie poor fellow gradually sank and expired on the Gth inst. He had been the owner of the mare for five years, and had never known her kick at a human being before.

Supreme Court. —The Circuit Sittings of the Supreme Court; for the despatch of civil and criminal business, will be holden at the Court-house, Napier, on Friday, Ist February, 1867, at 10 a.m. A minor sitings of the same court will bo held on Tuesday sth Feb., at 10 a.m. ; also, same day and same hour, a sittings under the Debtors’ and Creditors’ Act, 1862. The Court will also sit in banco on Wednesday, Gth Feb., at 10 a.m.

Steam Navigation Act, 1866, We would draw the attention of owners

and masters of steam vessels above

fifty tons ■ to the Steam Navigation Act, 1866, which came into force on the first of the year, and requires that sea-going.steamers above fifty tens register shall lift provided with at least one boat fitted with, Clifford's patent Jpwerjp*. apparatus, of approved fprav

Dangerous Structures. — We would draw the attention of the Government to the state of the bridges on the road between the Steam Mill and the Spit. Draymen and others have told us that when going across I with heavy loads the bridges actually |bend; and it is to he feared that unless due precaution is exercised, we | shall some Jay have to record an acciident. Ihe railing at the shies of one jot them is also extremely dangerous,j |aud ought to be removed and another ! erected for if any person happens |to lean on the present rotten rails, d'.e will stand a very goad chance oi ibeing immersed and as large boulder stones hue the bottom, might possibly receive severe bodily injury. We certainly hope tiie Government will not turn a deaf ear to this friendly warning. Floods on the West Coast. — By the papers received last night we learn that very heavy floods have recently occurred on the West Coast, —said to be the worst that have taken place there for several years.

Gazettes. A General Government Gazette published on the 10th inst .contains ascheduleofpostagerates under the new Act to all parts of the world, as well as throughout the Colony. The schedule gives the rates on letters, newspapers, and book packets via Suez and Southapton, Suez ami Marseilles, and Panama. Another Gazette was published on the 11th inst. By it we learn that the Provincial Councils of Otago and Hawke's Bay are dissolved ; the powers of the Governor under the Marine Act, 1860, are delegated to the Superintendents of the various provinces; the Orders in Council prohibiting the importation of cattle from Europe and Panama are repealed. There are other notifications in the same Gazette, but they are not of much importance. Marriage of Miss M'Lean. —The following is from the New Zealand Advertiser, of the 11th instant:—The holy bands of matrimony were celebrated yesterday morning in the new Scotch Church Lambton Quay, between one of the oldest and most respected settlers in this Colony, Robert Hart, Esq., barrister at-law, and Miss M‘Lean, sister to His Honor the Superintendent of Hawke’ s Bay. The Key. Mr Muir officiated upon the occasion, and great interest appeared to be manifested with regard to it, not only by the personal friends of the bride and bridegroom, but also by the public generally. The church was thronged by spectators, and we noticed that there were present many of the elite of the city. After the friends of the newly-married pair had partaken of the wedding breakfast, at the resilience of Mr Strang, the happv couple drove off to Biackie’s Horokiwi Valley ; where they will spend their honeymoon. _

Native Meeting at Mataiiojna. —Ths Wairarapa. Mercury, 12tl> January, says i—Rficcntly a of the natives resident on the East Coast of this Province was held at Mataikuna, the object of which was to petition the Government to supply them with

fifty stand of arms on the plea that

the Superintendent of Hawke’s Bay had done the same for the natives of his Province. Yv e trust that the Government will not grant their request, as we do not believe in arming the natives, unless in cases of great emer-! gcncy, and then they would probably be more expense than profit, Capt. M'Donnell. —We sincerely regret to learn from the Wanganui Times that Capt. M‘DonneH’s wound threatens to disable him for life. Our contemporary says : —“ During the past week several pieces of bone have been extracted, which proves that the fracture is more extensive than had been at first supposed. He is obliged to keep more to bed again.”

Reported Find at Fox’s River a Hoax. —The Westport Times, of the 9th iust., says;—Last evening we received our Pakihi correspondent’s letter, but are obliged to hold it over till Saturday. The important item ' contained is that the reputed find by Fibree at Fox’s is a hoax from begin- , ning to end, and, as may be supposed, the victims are furious and the alleged . prospector took refuge in the camp.

Horrifying Case of Homicide and Suickie. —Writing on the 25th December (Christmas Day) a correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald reports that late on Christmas eve tin town of Sofala was thrown into considerable excitement by the rumor of a digger named Robert Corf having cut

jhis wife’s throat with a razor, and imImediately afterwards bis own in like | manner at a lonely spot at the upper lend of the town near to the river. The report alas, turned out two painfully true, and the homicidal spot, where a - large pool of blood was lying, was visited that evening and following day, by some hundreds of persons. A magisterial inquiry was held at the Court-house on Christmas Day, when a considerable amount of evidence was adduced. It appears the poor woman met her husband by appointment about 9 o’clock that evening; she was residing with her children along with her parents at Sofala, and he was at present sheperdiug for Mr Smeed, at Two-mile Creek. They had been living apart for some time, and very unhappily, owing to her parents interference, to whom alone be attributes the cause of the diabolical deed. A letter was found upon his person written only a few hours prior to the homicidal act, addressed to Mr Joseph Walford, Sofala, making a few requests as to the interment of his wife and self, and the disposal of his two orphan children to the Randwick Asylum, begging of that gentleman to carry out his dying request. He also therein explained i more fully his reasons for taking life, altogether throwing the blame upon her parents for their separation. From the strain in which he wrote, Corf appears to have doated upon his wife,, and his life had latterly become so miserable from their separation that he resolved to end both their days. The medical testimony of Dr. Walker went to prove one of the most revolting and premeditated cases of suicide and murder ever committed oa the Western gold-fields. He appears to have have first of all cut the throat of his wife almost from ear to ear completely dividing the windpipe, the jugular veins and carotid arteries on both sides of the neck. She survived only a few minutes, and her youngestchild, only a few months old, in her arms at the time, received a superficial cut near the temple, but not at all dangerous. He nest hurriedly with the same razor cut his own throat making a frightful gash, but in a much more determined manner the windpipe was divided in | two places, and all the principal veins land arteries completely ent through Haying bare the vertebra of the neck, his death must have been almost instantaneous. He still retained in his right baud firm hold of the razor with which he had committed the appalling deed. Thus hurriedly were two immortal souls launched into eternity to j c appear before their Maker. t