LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1114, 26 April 1880, Page 3

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[united PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

CBRlSTCHunctt, April 25. A fire took place this morning just before 12 o'clock, at the corner of Durham and Tiiani streets, near St Michael's Church. It was blowiug from the southwest at the time, and several small cottages were burned down before the brigade could master the fire. The scene was a nest of small and old wooden buildings, luckily of no she, as had there been a good body of fire Russell's timber yard, close at hand, and in the track of the flames would probably have canght fire. The insurances are net known at present, nor the origin of the. fire.

At the inquest held this afternoon on the body of Thomas Duffy, railway porter, killed yesterday at Addington station, a verdict of accidental death Was returned. The evidence showed that after the deceased had uncoupled the waggons he signalled to the engine driver to come back. The driver did so, and deceased jumped on to the handle of the brake. In jumping he missed his hold, and was seen to turn round when be fell across the line before the engine. The gate-keeper, who saw the accident, at once cried out and the driver reversed the engine, but knew there was something on the line by the tender jumping. When he got dowu he found deceased quite dead, lying between the the leading and bogie wheels ot the engine. Some of the jurors before giving their verdict remarked on the dangerous practice of railway employes! riding on brake handles, and considered that a man '55 years of age was too old to be employed at shunting work. He had been employed for many years on the Christ«hurch Railway* He was a sober, steady man, much respected, and leaves a large family. One of his sons is engaged as engine driver on the Christchurch line, and another in charge of the Railway Telegraph Office at Dunedin. It is singular that to-day was the last day he was to work at Addington, as arrangements had been made for his transfer to-morrow as night watchman at Christchurch station, and an employee was leaving Malvern tonight to supply his place.

Nelson, April 23. Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held at Wakefield on the body of Mr Melville Selon, who was a runholder, and well known a few years since as a crack cricketer. The verdict was that he died from apoplexy. It was said that deceased, whilst riding home from Wakefield on the night of the 21st was seized with a fit of apoplexy, and that he died by the roadside, where he was found breathing his last.

Wellington, A pril 25. The body of a married woman named Jane Angus, age 60, was found on the Oriental Beach this morning. She was last seen alive at 9 o'clock last night, when she left a friend's house to proceed home. It is thought that she being short sighted walked over the breastwork near Oriental Bay. An inquest is to be held to-morrow.

Auckland, April 23. The German warship Bisraark has received telegraphic inst.ioctions to sail to Valapariso, South America, owing to the distvjpbances there affecting German interests.

The Nautilus, shortly expected here, ■will take the body of the deceased Tonga prince to Samoa.

. The. Bismark takes v a/ quantity of Bay of tslauds coal as an experiment.

The Wellington Rotrl was broken into early this morning, and about £4O in notes and gold abstracted. The entrance was effected through a window about 12 feet from the ground by means of a ladder. The police are investigating the matter, but have no clue to the offender. InvkrcargilL, April 22. An inquest was commenced to-day on the body of the male infant found in the Punui Creek yesterday. The only evidence of importance was that of the doctor, who made a post mortem. He stated that, in his opinion, death occurred after the infant was entirely separated from the mother. The child, however, showed no sign of suffocation, of drowning, or otherwise, and the immediate cause of death would probably be the congested state of the brain Caused by exposure to cold. The inquest stands adjourned for ten days. As yet the police have not arrested the mother of the child. THE PRISONER BUTLER. Dunedin, April 22. This morning Butler pleaded "guilty" to the burglary at Mr Stamper's house, but not guilty to stealing books from the Catholic Church, but the jury without leaving the box found him guilty. At the suggestion of the Bench the Crown Prosecutor entered a nollie prosequi in respect to attempting to shoot the constables. Prisoner, in answer to the usual challenge, said nothing. The Judge, in passing sentence, said :—" It is evident that during the whole of your life you have committed crime. From your earliest childhood you have been a persistent enemy to society. Where the Court have to deal with such habitual criminals as you, it is absolutely necessary that such punishment should be meted out as will prevent the danger to society wihich must necessarily ensue if such characters as yourself are at large. The sentence I am about to pass upon you, you wiH. distinctly understand, is not measured in any degree by what took place recently". On that charge you were acquitted. Such verdict by no means exonerates you from grave suspicion in respect to that charge. I concur in that verdict, not because I am convinced of your innocence, but because, in my opinion, the evidence brought against you was not sufficient to justify a verdict of guilty. I particularly wish you to understand that the suspicion which must weigh on the mind of everybody in respect to that transaction, does not affect in the least the sentence I am going to pronounce. The sentence I pronounce is based on your previous career and on the circumstance that immediately after yon were let out of gaol you commenced again a career of crime—larceny and burglary, the latter accompanied in all probability, though that is not put against you, by arson. The sentence of the Court is in respect of the burglary that yon be kept in penal servitude for 18 years; for larceny after a previous conviction 10 ' years, the sentences to run concurrently." Mr Haggitt intimated that he would consult with the Attorney-General as to whether the other indictments for murder should be proceeded with.