THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1616, 2 October 1874, Page 378

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1874.

Mails close for Auckland and Thames per Southern Cross, to-morrow, at 7 a.m. Mails close for .Southern Provinces and Australian Colonies per s.s. -Rangatira at 10 a.m. to-morrow. We would draw attention to- Mr M. It. Miller's sale of first-class draught stock to-morrow at noon, at Messrs Massey and Hobbs' stables. The s.s. Albion is expected to leave Hokitika at noon to-morrow, Saturday, 3rd October. Telegrams for the Australian Colonies or Europe via Java cable will be received at the Telegraph Office, Napier, for transmission to Hokitika up to 11.30 a.m. on that day. A heavy shower on Monday night somewhat relieved the oppressive atmosphere. Tuesday was sultry, wild hot winds prevailing, with clouds of dust. Wednesday was comparatively mild and pleasant, but high winds sprung up in the evening. Yesterday was wild, windy, and bleak; dense clouds gathered during the day, and heavy showers fell in the afternoon and evening. In Napier, however, we have been fortunately exempt from such bad weather us has visited nearly all other parts of the Colony. Yesterday in the Resident Magistrate's Court, James Moyle was. brought up on remand charged with the larceny of a purse and its. contents. PoliceSergeant Price, from Wellington, was examined aud deposed to having ar rested the prisoner on board the Halcione, on a warrant from Napier. Mrs Burley and a witness named Robson were called to prove that the prisoner was quite out of money the day before the Halcione left. Mr Lascelles appeared for the prisoner and cross-examined the witnesses. Prisoner was committed for trial at the next sitting of the District Court. H. T. Curtice was charged with assaulting T. W. Digby by striking him in the mouth. Defendant admitted the offence, hut pleaded great provocation.—Fined £l, with 6s 6d costs. ' Robert Morton, alias Leonard, charged with forgery, was remanded to 7th October. Country settlers will read with interest the account of Mr Leney's sale of shorthorn stock, which we have quoted in today's issue from the London Daily Telegraph. The sale possesses a special interest for New Zealand, as three of the splendid bulls there sold are at present on their way to this Colony, to be offered for sale soon after arrival. One of these bulls, '' First Lord," realized tho high price of 200 guineas at the sale on. July 2nd. By advertisement it will be seen that some first-class sheep, from some of the best flocks in the home country, are expected to arrive shortly. We also publish to-day an account, from the Press correspondent* of the newly-formed " Stud Company "in England, which has purchased a number of the finest thoroughbred horses in England—notably " Blair Athol," at the enormous figure of 12,500 guineas—and which is paying a dividend of fifteen per cent. Facts like these show how profitable a business the breeding of high class stock may be made, and further that that tho purchase of first-class pure-bred animals, even at a high rate, is a good investment. Proficient as the Yankees are in tho art of drawing the long bow, their "tallest" efforts sink into insignificance beside the productions of French journalists. English newspapers oftentimes havo their first intimation of remarkable events having happened at home from the well-informed papers across the Channel. It was only through the medium of a translation that the English public became aware of "Mahonye," the Irish showman, being devoured by hi 3 own boa constrictor before a large audience in Manchester, while an affecting reunion took place beween a father and his long-lost daughter, who, disguised as an Abyssinian princess, had charge of the animal; and, still later, of tho great surgical feat of " Dr Do Willoughbye," an English surgeon in London, who cured a young man of excruciating pains in the head by the bold process of taking his skull to pieces and clearing the brain of a vast number of polypedal parasites by which that important organ was infested. In the same category we may pretty safely place the latest French " sensation"—a letter, professedly from Archbishop Gauthier, a Chinese missionary, containing details of a horrible slaughter and persecution of Christians in that country—about ten thousand having been slain with various tortures. This letter bears no date, and has been published without any authentication ; but has probably proved a source of no little profit to the clever journalist who first gave it to the world. It is supposed to be a "posthumous" writing, as the worthy priest announces in it that he is marked for destruction, and does not expect to spend many more hours on earth. How tho missive was conveyed to Paris, deponent—discreetly—sayetli not. Probably it was by miracle; as wo find a eircum* stancewhich may fairly bear that definition in the letter. "The multitude of dead bodies thus fastened together in groups of from eight to ten, block up tho principal river, but to the great surprise of all does, not send forth any bad smell." It is perhaps some small consolation to the living to know that after being slaughtered their remains will be miraculously preserved from decomposition for the astonishment of the idolatrous natives. We wonder, however, to see extracts from this Mun-chausen-liko production published with the mail news in soino of our contemporaries.

A shocking case of alcoholic poisoning has occurred in the Cadgee district, New South Wales, which shows in a striking manner the ignorant and almost super atitious reverence with which the people of that benighted region regard ardent spirits. On Saturday, Bth August, Mr Hunt, accompanied by Mr Lonsdale, a friend, took home with him a bottle containing a pint of ruin, of which the two pretty freely partook before retiring to rest, leaving the bottle on tho table. Next day, Sunday, during Mrs Hunt's temporary absence, her two children, aged seven and eight years, following the example of their seniors, mixed the remainder of the spirit with tea, and drank nearly the whole of it. The mother, on her return, found the eldest child very sick, and on inquiry, ascertained the cause ; " but"—we quote from the Murray Examiner—"o/ course never supposed that the end would be so shockingly fatal"! It is not recorded that any measures were taken to counteract the poison, nor that any medical gentleman was sent for Both children died, in frightful agony, from lockjaw and convulsions—one on the Sunday evening ; the other at 4 a.m. on Monday. A coroner's inquest was held, and it appears to have been only after a post mortem examination, and the assurances of a physician, that the jury could be persuaded that the alcohol was the cause of death. The fact that the children were young and unseasoned to the effects of liquor had to be specially pointed out. "After some deliberation," and not apparently without some doubt that they were libelling the " good creature " rum, the jury returned the following remarkable verdict—" We find that the deceased Albon Hunt and Sarah Ellen Hunt, came to their deaths by taking an overdose of alcoholic stimulants." Rains, floods, and bad weather generally are reported from various parts of the Colony. The Hutt river on Monday overflowed the road, but subsided somewhat during the night. On Tuesday it rose higher than had been known for many years, but no serious damage is recorded. Greytown, Wairarapa, at the same time, was flooded by the VVaiohiue; house was washed away : the family and furniture being removed by the neighbors, In Wellington it rained heavily during the whole of Tuesday, with heavy N.E. gale. Extensive landslips took place on the Hutt-road. From.the other Island similar reports were telegraphed. In Chrislchurch continuous and heavy rains fell, and it poured almost incessantly from Sunday morning to Monday night. Several rivers overflowed their banks, but no serious damage done. At Grwymouth a heavy gale blew all Monday night, causing such a sea as to land the Waipara high and dry a considerable distance from the shore-line. At Cobden the river has made serious encroachments, and is now running immediately behind the houses in the main street. At Westport, after fortyeight hours' continuous rain, the lower part of the town was flooded with surface water, and the river was rapidly rising. No serious damage was reported, but the rain continued. .At Oamaru, a schooner' was driven ashore in beating out against the gale. At Dunedin heavy rain fell for twelve hours, and floods were anticipated. Heavy rains inland were reported. At Port Chalmers the weather was so bad on Tuesday that the s.s. Albion could not leave. At Grahamstown a gale blew damaging tho Tararu wharf, and a high tide flooded the streets and damaged the gardens along the beach. This brings the record down to Tuesday night. On Wednesday it was reported from Greytown that the rain still continued, Mastertoii was flooded and traffic suspended, the bridges and culverts being more or less injured, some swept away altogether. Miles of fencing had gone, and great loss of cattle and sheep are reported. The attempt was made to take the Wellington mails across Abbott's creek in a trap. The mails were lost, and the driver nearly drowned. At latest advices, tho floods were subsiding, but traffic had not been resumed. Mails between Wellington and Wanganui and Wairarapa, had been stopped by the floods, while heavy rain continued to fall in Wellington. At Westport the river rose rapidly, flooding the township and doing considerable damage. Several buildings had to be pulled down. News had been received of floods at the Lyell. At Hokitika four days' heavy rain had caused floods which stopped the mails, but no serious damage was recorded. At Blenheim the Opawa river burst its banks, and flooded the whole town. Traffic for a time had to bo suspended. At Kaiapoi the Waimakariri rose and flooded the township, causing damages to the railway line which it will take several daysto repair. Some idea of the late weather on the East Coast may bo gathered from the telegram of our Tauranga correspondent. The concrete protecting wall of the Hutt railway has been forced out of position by the floods. It is fourteen feet high, and 130 feet will have to be rebuilt. In certain parts of Wellington province the telegraph lines have been down for some days. A fearful surf rages at New Plymouth, preventing any communication with steamers; and the Taranaki rivers are higher than they have been for years. The English Opera Company make their first appearance in Waugauut about the 12th October. Major Durie, an old settler, formerly Resident Magistrate in Wellington, and afterwards in Wanganui, died on the 261 h September, Mr Ludlam having apologized to Mr Borlase for the expressions be used at the recent meeting at tho Hutt, the latter gentleman has consented to withdraw the action for libel. Tho Grahamstown Evening Star, 10th September, reports'.—A frightful accident happened at Hikutaia yesterday, A man of color known as Black Jack was working with others felling timber, when a branch of a tree fell and struck Jack on on the head, smashing his skull and killing him instantly. The man was conveyed to his whare, and now lies awaiting an'inquiry or an order for burial,