MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 71, 31 January 1877, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

At the Southwark Police Court a man was summoned for an nnprovoked assault upon 3 young lady. His explanation of the matter was curious. It appeared that his wife, who was living apart from him, had taken out a summons against him for assaulting her, and that while looking for her he met the complainant, and immediately seized her by the neck and wrists. A crowd quickly gathered, and the young lady called oat for help, an-

nounciug at the same time who sh^was. The man, however, persisted for some time in declaring that she was his wife, but on discovering his mistake released her, and apologised. He was fined 10s, and when next he contemplates seizing his wife bj the neck will doubtless be careful to make quite sore that he is in pursuit of the right quarry. Civil interments in Prance are of frequent occurrence, but an eccentric old Parisian, lately dead, has invented the " uncivil " burial. By his will, the de« ceased forbids any of his relations to ac* company his body to the grave, declaring that people are always put out and annoyed by having to attend funerals, and rent their anger by abusing the dead, while those at starting who look most solemn and distressed are perfectly jolly by the time they reach the cemetery. " I have often changed my abode daring my lifetime," he concludes, " and I never invited my friends to help me to move. Not having any furniture to remove in my change to my last and definite home 1 certainly do not require their presence or assistance." Some important medical evidence was given (says an English paper) at an in* quest in Bristol on the body of Herbert George Knight, aged 13, who was found, dead in a swimming bath. The boy's father said he never l*ad a fit in his life, and was very healthy. The manager of the baths said when the boy was discovered in the water the crown of his head was just above the surface, and he was standing in a stooping position with his face under water. At the point where he was, the water was only 3 feet 4 inches deep, while his height was 4 feet 9 inches. Thomas Eichards, bath attendant, said the temperature of the water was 75 de« grees. Mr G. Gardiner said he used the usual restoratives for a quarter of an hour, but without effect. He was of opinion that death was not caused by drowning ; it was a case of epilepsy. The. deceased must have eaten heartily just before he had entered the water, or at least had not given his food sufficient time to digest. He had thrown np a large quantity of food, and when got ons of the water bis mouth and throat were full. It was a very serious thing for per« sons to enter the water after meals, as it was attended with the greatest danger to the safety of the bather, and that fact could not be too widely known. It was simply owing to that act the deceased bad lost bis life. It was exceedingly dangerous for any person to enter the water within two hours of a meal. The verdict was in accordance with the medN cal evidence. The Americans hare^discovered a new 1 use for paper. It is one which certainly would not suggest itself at first sight. ! They emply it a3 a substitute for wood. Paper has for years done duty as linen but perhaps except when employed by bookbinders we should not expect to find 1 it taking the place of " boards." American ' growers had found that wine long stored; 1 in the wood suffered from the contact. ' It was certainly a bold idea to abolish 1 wooden casks and wrap wine in paper. * But it is announced to have been done. • And the new fabric is said to have proved . so successful that it is to be applied to ' general purposes of storage. It is made 3 by some peculiar process, the principal 1 material employed being rye or barley r straw. Of course it is waterproof, so that ' no portion of the wine is absorbed, nor 3 can such a cask become charged with the, c gases which are set at liberty in eonrse of. ? fermentation. It was a doubtful point, & whether it could resist the test to which 1 it would be subjected during fermentation, ' but as one sample was proved to have 3 withstood a strain of 400Qlbs., tfeafc I question may be treated as settled. It is 1 no small part of the advantage of the new ' casks that they can be packed so as to ' occupy much less space. They are made ' in a cylindrical form, and it is calculated > that this gives an advantage in stowage > amounting to 15 per cent.