LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1143, 28 May 1880, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[united press association.] Oamaru, May 26. A very lteavy sea has been rolling in the bay but the shipping is quite safe under the lee of the breakwater. Dunedin, May 27. A a request of a deputation, the Mayor promised to call a publio meeting to discuss the property tax. A novel feature was introduced by J. M. Templeton, F.J.A., in his lecture on Life Assurance at the Temperance Hall in this city last night. Instead of quoting figures he exhibited diagrams to illustrate the. theory of the subject which proved very entertaining to a large and appreciative audience. At the close an enthusiastic vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer, and the Mayor who presided took the opportunity of complimenting Mr Templeton upon his ability in giving both instruction and eutertainment. CHB.ISTCIIURCH, May 27. Marks was again summoned to the Police Court to-day, on a charge of Sunday traffic. After dealing the long arguments on either side from Mr Stringer for defendant, and Mr Joynt for the prosecution, the Bench reserved its desision. Auckland, May 27. A half-caste woman, of the NgatirauLauwa tribe, who came into Cambridge to see the races, had her baby, a year old, acoidently smothered. Wellington, May 27. In the Supreme Court in banco this afternoon, vVYfntver.s, solicitor, applied to have a rule nisi lor a writ of habeas corpus in the case of Winiata Parata, one of the Maori prisoners, at present

confined in the Duneditigaol, made absolute. The application proceeded on i an affidavit by the prisoner's father, which set forth inter alia, that his son was uutler the influence of certain Maori Chiefs, to whom he imagined he owed allegiance, and that in pursuance of that influence he was restrained from making the application on his own account. The rule was discharged, the judge holding, that in the absence of prisoner's concurrence the rule could not bo made absolute. It is understood that Colonel Trimble, member for Grey and Bell, will move the Address in Reply to his Excellency the Governor's Speech in the House of of Representatives. Napier, May 26. A curious case of one Maori roasting another came before the R.M. Court to-day. Herika, a follower of Te Whiti, and a sort of minor prophet and missionary combined, and charged with assaulting one Heriona an old, blind, and weak-minded man. The evidence showed that the old man was ill and the prisoner was consulted as a kind of medicine man. He declared that he was possessed of a devil. To cure him he had a Maori copper made and heated, and lined it with green leaves in the mosi approved fashion, and then laid Heriona on the copper. The old gentleman tried to Wriggle away, when Herilta tied Ms hands and feet, and this was not satisfactory, lie sat on the poof man to keep him well down on the stones. Naturally the old fellow cried out, when Herika declared that was the devil crying to get out of his body. At last the bystanders interfered and rescued Heriona, but nob before he had been dreadfully burnt, or ill fact a certain part of his body was described as thoroughly cooked. The case was remanded to allow the old man to be examined by a medical man.