The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1883.

Kumara Times, Issue 2060, 6 April 1883, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1883.

A public meeting is to be held at the Town Hall this evening of persons who have subscribed or may be still desirous of subscribing to a fund which has been raised since the late disastrous fire specially for the purpose of alleviating the wants of those who have suffered by the sad catastrophe. The object of the meeting will be to devise the best way of apportioning to the sufferers the money subscribed, and probably some means may be suggested of supplementing the efforts of the gentlemen who so expeditiously set themselves to work to relieve the distressed, and also of augmenting the amount collected by them. All chari-tably-disposed persons are invited to attend.

The Supreme Court, sitting at Hokitika, was occupied all day yesterday with the trial of Samuel George Ferguson and James Dunlop, for having, on the 6th October, 1882, killed a cow, the property of John Allen ; there were other counts for stealing and receiving the carcase. Mr Perkins appeared for the Crown, and Mr Purkiss defended the prisoners, who pleaded not guilty. The jury retired at a quarter-past ten, and returned into Court at half-past twelve, with a verdict of “Not Guilty,” when the Judge discharged the prisoners. At our latest advices from Hokitika today, the trial of James Wylde, late Town Clerk, &c., of Kumara on three other charges of embezzlement, was proceeding. The special jury cases are postponed till to-morrow.

In hearing in Court to-day an application for an extended claim, the Warden (J. Giles, Esq.) ruled that—“ This application being made only for the purpose of avoiding a condition attached to grant of extended claim requiring eight men to be employed on the ground, it is considered that the said condition may be cancelled, and the former grant continue in force.”

The Kumara portion of the mails via San Francisco may be looked for by coach to-morrow afternoon. Mr Frank Willmott’s Combination of talented artistes will to-morrow night (not to-night as may be inferred by the programmes which have been circulated) appear at the Theatre Royal. They will reproduce here Lancaster’s celebrated comedy “ The Guv’nor. ” Captain Edwin wired the following yesterday afternoon : —“ Bad weather is expected from south-east to east and north ; glass fall again soon ; and, after twelve hours, sea considerable and increasing from north-west ; also very high tides during the next 36 hours.” The weather in the neighbourhood of Sheffield has been very boisterous lately ; the rainfall was over in 9in. All the hills were capped with snow, and the thermometer fell on Saturday night to 36°. According to the Feilding paper there is in that district a cute toper who was made subject to a prohibition clause of the Licensing Act, but bested the Magistrates by brewing beer for himself.

At the Supreme Court criminal sessions at Wellington on Monday, Judge Richmond, in his charge to the Grand Jury, after referring to the cases, said, “You are aware, gentleman, that some strenuous efforts have been made to improve our civil procedure, but as yet our lawyers seem to have left criminal law untouched. We sometimes have many of us a hard word to say of the lawyers, but as one of them I identify myself with them, and I say that anything to be expected in the way of law reform must be looked for from them. . . . We are still troubled

with some difficulties, as for example with the distinction between larceny and embezzlement, a distinction which it is sometimes difficult for lawyers to understand. Such relics of ancient procedure will very soon, no doubt, be swept away, and we shall have something more rational ; also, I hope to see the law of indictments made more reasonable than now.”

The Dunedin Catholic Cathedral bazaar was brought to a close last Saturday night, when, notwithstanding the very inclement weather, a large number visited the hall. The auction sale did not take place, the public not coming in large numbers until 9 o’clock, and the statute does not allow auctioneers to sell after that hour. Ij was therefore decided to dispose of as much as possible, and all goods left were to be held over and realised upon for the Cathedral building at some future date. The total proceeds for the week were £554.

The Wonderful Wertheim Sewing Machine may be had upon Time Payment, easiest terms for any part of the country, no matter where you live. With perfect ease and simplicity they will make very line double seams or fells, will kilt, braid, make their own braid and stitch it on at the same time, bind, cord, ruffle gather, sew on ribbons and trimmings, tuck, hem to any width, bind scallops, and fold dress material with raw edges, bind on the bias, embroider curtains or antimacassars, stitch heaviest tweeds or moleskins, muslin or calico. Every kind of family or factory sewing. The Wertheim machines wind their own bobbins without guidance as level as reels of cotton. They are guaranteed for ten years, but will last a a lifetime. Easy to learn, light in running, strong, handsome, and durable. Catalogues, samples of work, and particulars free by post from James Renton, sole gent, Kumara and Hokitika.—[Advt.]