The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1884.

Kumara Times, Issue 2357, 18 March 1884, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1884.

A reward of £IOOO is offered for the capture of the rebel Arab leader Osraan Dignah, alive or dead. A late cablegram from Loudon announces that the British Government has expressed its disapproval of the action of General Graham in placa price on the head of Osman Dignah. The order has been given by the French Commander in Touquin for the French troops to advance westward and northward from Bacninh, which city they have lately captured. The attendance at the entertainment at the Adelphi Theatre last night iu aid of the funds of the Kumara Dramatic Club wardrobe showed pretty 'conclusively that the public of this district are not slow to recognise and to assist, even in an indirect way, the efforts of ladies and gentlemen who apply themselves to the task of entertaining the public, especially when the object is a charitable one. A very good house responded to the call for assistance, the front seats were all filled, and the gallery and back seats were fairly patronised, notwithstanding the counter-attrac-tion, or supposed counter-attraction, at the Theatre Royal. The Catholic Brass Band which paraded from Dillman's Town to the theatre doubtless had some good effect in enlivening the town and drawing a house. The Kumara String Band also did good service, and, though their accomplished leader was absent, they kept up the spirit of the performance with their excellent selections at intorv.-ih; ">vnn bogiiming to end. The liist-pan of the enturUumuont consisted

of secular, sentimental and comic songs, and, after an interval of a few minutes, the Club performed the two-act melodrame of " Robert Macaire." The entertainment as a whole does not call for any special notice; there were several new performers, and all appeared to do their best. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Hospital Committee will be held in the Town Hall this evening, at eight o'clock. Captain Edwin wired last evening as follows : —"lndications of glass falling after twelve hours, with northerly winds." It is proposed to construct a second telegraph line across the Australian continent. In the Supreme Court, Hokitika, yesterday, it appears there was a great deal of trouble in empannelling a second jury on the arson case against Hughes and Maloney, the prisoners' counsel challenging no less than 24 out of 36 jurymen. The following are the names of the jurymen so challenged : Thomas Kerr, George Hawke, Robert Ferguson, Samuel Fuge, James Brown, Charles Grant, John Birgman, Walter Chisholm, Edwin Hendy, Alex. Ballantyne, William Caulfield, Matthew Atkinson, George G. Duncan, J. Kerr, John M'Donald, James Christie, R. Murray, Henry Adamson, Thomas Lowe, Henry Parker, William Jones, John Bratnhall, Edward Millican, George Martin. The Crown ordered the following to stand by :—Patrick O'Neil, David Bourke, Daniel Lynch, Patrick Clare, Daniel Cullen, Andrew Dnnlop. In consequence of the counsel for the prisoner challenging so many jurymen, his Honor ordered the jurymen that the Crown ordered to stand by, to be called; and the jury, whose names were given in our last evening's issue, were then sworn, and the fresh trial proceeded. The case for the Crown concluded at about 3 p.m. At 6 p.m. the Court adjourned until ten this morning, when the evidence for the defence, partly heard, was concluded, and the jury retired at three o'clock this afternoon to consiider their verdict. The civil case Cullen v. Cullen will be taken at 10 o'clock to-morrow morning. It is gratifying (the Times says) to have to report that the Coal Prospecting Association at Kanieri received information on Saturday from their manager, that a seam of coal of splendid quality, nine feet thick, had been cut in the tunnel. They are now driving through a fine seam of fireclay, and expect to cut the large seam left in the shaft in the upper workings in about another 15 or 20 feet driving. Great satisfaction is felt at the prospects of the venture. Great dissatisfaction (says a Wellington correspondent) is felt with the working of the new San Francisco mail contract. The mails are always late, and the time is already beaten by the direct steamers. This month's mail is three days late. It is understood the Sydney Government are still more dissatisfied, and that any permanent renewal of the contract after the expiration of the present tentative period is very improbable so far as New South Wales is concerned, and it is not thought likely the New Zealand Parliament would sanction this Colony undertaking such a thing alone, especially now that so many alternative routes are available, notably by the direct steamers. A new comic paper has been started in Germany, with the peculiar title of "Mixed Pickles."