The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1883.

Kumara Times, Issue 2109, 2 June 1883, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1883.

The Christchurch coach arrived this afternoon at the usual hour, bringing Australian and Suez mails. The Charles Edward, with the San Francisco mails on board, owing to the late bad weather only managed to get into Westport this morning. She will leave for Greymouth in the evening. The Kumara portion of the mails will, therefore, probably reach here by to-morrow morning’s tram. If, so (the Postmaster kindly informs ns), the mails will be sorted immediately, and the Post-office opened for half-an-hour. The annual election of Borough Auditors took place yesterday, and resulted in the return of Messrs Lawrence J. Spyer and William Weisner. The following were the candidates and the votes polled by each : Spyer, Lawrence J. ... 55 Wiesner, William ... ... 37 Bernard, Charles ... ... 31 Queale, Thomas A 24 Barrett, William H. D. ... 23 giving a total of 170 by 85 voters out of 160 electors. At a special meeting of the congregation of St, Andrew’s Church, held on Thursday evening last, certificates and testimonials from the Rev. George Hay, of Glasgow, and letters from the Rev. C. S. Ogg, of Wellington, and W. Douglass, of Hokitika, were read ; and, after due consideration, it was unanimously agreed to ask Mr Hay’s acceptance of the pastoral charge of the congregations of Kumara and Stafford, and to request the Presbytery of Glasgow to appoint him to the same before leaving home. Mr Hay may therefore be expected here in about four months from now. We have had the pleasure of perusing the Rev. Mr Hay’s testimonials, and certificates from the Faculties of Arts and Divinity. The former speak of him as “a fluent and attractive speaker, a man of much intelligence and of great vigour of character, earnest in delivery, abundant in matter, clear in statement, and evangelical in tone.” Some anxiety was caused ixx town this morning by the report that two boys, sons of Mrs Harrison, of the Shamrock Hotel (and who was lately burned out of the Hibernian Hotel), were lost. It appears that Patrick James and Michael Joseph Harrison, aged respectively 15 and 13 years, went out yesterday morning clown the Lamplough and Maori Gully tracks birdnesting. Having discovered a parrot’s nest, and being xmable to climb the tree in which it was, they commenced to cut the tree down with their penknives. Finding this a very tedious mode, they came home for an axe, which, having obtained, they returned to their boyish sport. They discovered in the bush two wounded pigeons, which with some difficulty they secured, and then kindled a fire and ate one of them. Being at some distance from the track, and darkness coming on they resolved to take shelter for the night under a tree, little thinking, probably, of the anxiety they were causing their widowed mother. A search party

went out last night and again this morning ; but the boys came walking leisurely home at one o’clock to-day. Messrs Gird wood, Lahman and Co. will sell at the Preston Yards, Greymouth, on Monday next, at 12 o’clock, prime seasonable bullocks, cross-bred wethers, and fat pigs. The report of gold having been struck half a-mile to the westward of the claim known as Kaikouras at Rimu, has now (the West Coast Times states) been confirmed. The discoverers, who were working under the auspices of the Prospecting Association, have intimated that they require no more assistance from the Association. Gold was struck at 28ft; thickness of wash 4ft. to sft,, with a prospect of 3dwts. to the load. The sittings of the District Court at Reefton opened on Monday morning last, before his Honor Judge Broad. Only one criminal case was set down for hearing—that of Regina v. Richard Lee, for larceny of partnership moneys. Mr Wm. Perkins, Crown Prosecutor, presented the indictment, and Mr Lynch defended the prisoner. The circumstances were briefly that accused, with two others, Toomey and Graham, held a contract for supplying the Welcome Company, Boatman’s, with mining timber. Prisoner conducted the partnership accounts, and received the moneys accruing upon the contract, and in the transactions was overpaid by the company the sum of £3O. Instead, however, of acquainting the company with the error, or informing his fellow contractors, he quietly stuck to the money. Upon the facts coming to the knowledge of his partners, the present prosecution was instigated. Evidence was taken in support of the indictment, and the jury having retired, returned after a long deliberation with a verdict of “ Guilty,” and accused was sentenced to nine months imprisonment in Hokitika Gaol. The pripassed through Kumara yesterday, in charge of Constable Cashion. The Orawaiti, the second screw-steamer built to the order of the Westport Coal Company, expressly for the local trade, arrived at Westport on Tuesday, the 22nd ult. The new boat is under the charge of Captain James Alexander, and he brought her to her destination without mishap of any kind. The Orawaiti is almost a duplicate of the Kawatiri; the former’s carrying capacity is three tons less than the sister boat; the cabin in the Orawaiti is differently arranged—an additional room being provided. The report re Thomas, an Auckland chemist, being missing, proves to be incorrect. The sentence of death passed on Phoebe Yeitch, for child murder at Wanganui, has been commuted to penal servitude for life. The proprietors of Society have apologised to the Rev. Mr Cree by advertisement for reflecting on his character, they having ascertained that their information was untrue.