Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 796, 16 June 1870, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1870.

In our small community, it is not often that we have w record so many painful occurrences, crowded within the short space of four clays, as are reported in our issue of this morning. Mr W. J. Browne, a gentleman lately of H.M. Customs, well known and greatly respected,'

<Jied on Saturday evening last, after a lingering illness. The death of Mr T. Potter, at Tareha's Bridge, on Monday morning, we have already. recorded, and a report of the inquest appears in another column. On the afternoon of Monday, the 13th inst., Mr George Firth, late schoolmasterj at Meanee, died at the Provincial Hospital, from injuries received a I few days previously by a fall from 1 his horse. Dining the night of Holiday, when a sharp frost prevailed, a man named John Hook, (better known as " Flank Jack,") an old whaler and confirmed drunkard, perished miserably in a shed on the Spic, from exposure and possibly starvation. On the morning of Tuesday, Sergeant Stark, AO. who had been suffering from delirium tremens, made an attempt on his life with a pistol. The ball, struck hi** chest; but glanced off by the shoulder, and an ugly wound was indicted, which, however, is not expected to prove fatal. He was taken to the hospital, and last evening was suffering considerably.

The Recent Death ox the Spit. —At the inquest on the body of John Hook, hold on Tuesday, the 14th June, the jury animadxerted in strong terras on the ' neglect which allowed an old man to die in a miserable slied. It transpired that the deceased, who, though only about 50 years of age, was a complete wreck, had been brought down from Poverty Bay, and sent to the Pro vincial Hospital. As however, he was not afficted with any specific ailment requiring medical treatment he way discharged, and sent to the Immigration Barracks, with a number of other infirm old men; he was placed under the charge of the Charitable Aid Board. The Coronerexplained that while there he was provided with bedding, rations, fuel, and a small weekly allowance of money ; and that he left that place of his own accord, and en me to the Spit, where he subsisted for about a fortnight on the charity of those who knew him receiving occasionally food, and oftener drink. Being in a very filthy condition, no one would give him lodging, and he slept at night in a shed without a floor, barely sufficient to exclude wind and rain, and with n> bedding but an old blanket. Here he was found dead on Tuesday morning--another victim to the great curse of this country. A report of the inquest will be found elsewhere, from which it will be seen that the jury found that he died from want and exposure, and added a rider censuring the authorities, for turning him out of the hospital.

The Trial of Maori Prisoners at prcrseiic in Wellington is fixed for the 27th inst.

The s.s. Wonga "Wonga, with 89 passengers, left Auckland at 2 p.m. on ihe 6th inst., for Honolulu. She was the bearer of the mails for England, etc., via San Francisco.