Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1549, 10 February 1874, Page 111

Interprovincial Items.

Desperate Struggle with a Burglar. ' The Otago Guardian of Jan. 14 says : A burglary in Duiledin is a rarething, and when the capture of theculprit is mainly owing to the courage of a lady, increased interest, is felt in the [particulars of the case. They are these :On Monday evening the premises of the Hon. James Patterson, situated at the corner of Alva and High street, were properly secured as usual. At about 2 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the servant girl was awoke by a noise in or near her bedrooom. In reply to her inquiry, " Who's there ?" a man answered, " Hold your noise, or I'll shoot you." The girl then screamed ; and, on hearing her screams, Mrs Patterson, rushed out' of her bedroom just in time; to confront the unwelcome visitor. He tried to escape, but Mrs Patterson seized his beard, and held him until her husband came immediately afterwards to her assistance. The intruder-was then thrown on the ground, and secured until the help of some of the neighbours was obtained. It is said that he pleaded hard for liberty; and even promised, if released, to pray fervently for the success and happiness of his inexorable detainers. His entreaties, however, were unheeded. He was made still further secure by being tied with handkerchiefs,and conveyed to the lock-up, the aid of a policeman having been obtained before tho excited party had proceeded far down High street. When the premises were afterwards examined, it was found that the back door and dining-room window were open. It was also that an attempt had been.made [to force open a desk, several bottles of spirits had been removed from a press in the dining room, and the marks of a stranger's feet were traceable in the drawing-room. On Tuesday morning a man named John Pearon was brought before the Bench;, charged with being illegally on the premises of the Hon. James Patterson, at 2.45 that morning, In order however, to enable the police to make inquiries, the accused was remanded, and bail was refused. It is probable the case will be proceeded with to-day. 1 , /■ ■ Sudden Death. /; A sudden death under peculiar circumstances occurred on the 12th January, and is thus recorded by the Daily Times. A driver of one of the Caversham 'buses, named .Henry Pleury, was hailed at the stand in Princes street by a Mrs Hair, who requested him to drive her to Messrs. Herbert, Haynes, and Co.'s, but when about half way, they were stopped by that firm's messenger with a parcel, and the 'bus was accordingly driven back to the stand. On arriving there, a boy called put that the woman had fallen off her. seat, and tho driver, who was a boy, tried to raise her, but failed. Thinking sho was drunk, ho allowed her to remain on the floor of the vehicle, and drove towards Caversham, taking in a passenger, and' making enquiries on the road of people whether they knew where deceased lived. On reaching Caversham, her house was pointed out to him, and in lifting her out, he discovered her to be dead. Deceased had been under medical attendance for a considerable time past for diseaso of the heart, which is attributed as the cause of her death. Loss of Valuable Horses.

In the kingdom of horsedom (says the Wakatipu Mail) there have been numerous accidents of late. Three poor racing steeds were roasted to death in a stable at Arthur's Point, and were only discovered when finally " cooked." Three horses and a dray belonging to M'Kibbon Bros, went over the bank of that dangerous ascent near the Shotover Bridge. One animal was killed, the other got off badly injured, and the dray was nearly a wre/ok. Later still, four horses, the property/ 0 f a very hard working farmer and tear n ster Mr Charles Johnstone, of Spear- Grass Flat, took it into their heads one nio-ht to break into some sacks of. w'heat and gorged themselves with it. Before their insane conduct was detected, they were in the last stage of death. They paid a heavy penalty for the and have mulcted their owner in a seriuus loss besides. / . • Land at Gis'oorne, The Standard says :- '-Wo are glad to see that, a demand exists f'.or land in this district. Town lands, atuyj those prospectively likely to become centres of population, are largely enquired ,£«6r and being quitted at rather high pricey. Some sections in the township of Gis'borne, near to Mr Brooke Taylor's house, have recently changed hands at a figure which shows coniidence in the pbace ; and Mr T. Uren, we learn, lately realized on some of his Makaraka frontages ncarto'Higgins' new hotel at the rate of £25 and's3o,for one chain of frontage. Orniond town sections are now selling at from £SO to £IOO (business sites) which could have been bought two or three years ago for as many shillings. The projected Building Society will give a great impetus to land and house transactions, and we shall he glad to see. it launched without delay. Death of another Old Settler. The Taranaki Herald, 28th January, says;—One by one the pioneer settlers of this Proviuce are passing away. Of late we regret to say that wo have had to notice many of their deaths, and how our obituary contains another. Mrs Lye, with her husband and family, were passengers by the first ship that came to this settlement, the William Bryantj which arrived here in 1841. This venerable, jady has raised a large family, and has lived to see her grandchildren's,,children. She was known to all our old! settlers, by whom she was much. regarded. She died on Saturday evening, and yesierday a large number of persons followed her remains to'the grave. ' "'"'"". '.' j , ' ' ~', , r\\lmh