PROVINCIAL NEWS

Kumara Times, Issue 2876, 22 December 1885, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS

[united press ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, December 19. The cable steamer picked up the White’s Bay end of the Cook Strait cable last night, and buoyed it. Should the weather continue fine it is expected that it will be spliced by the Monday following. December 20. The cable steamer Shepard Osborne returned to port this afternoon, having successfully spliced the broken ends of the Cook Strait cable. Tenders have been received for the erection of the new prison at Greymouth. Accept'd—Arnott and Seahrook, Greymouth, £946; declined Holder and Neilly, Greymouth, £977 ; Wisdom and Sotheram, Greymouth, £997; Gleeson, E. G., Greymouth, £1080; Anderson and Hillman, Greymouth, £lOBl. December 21. Sir Julias Vogel is suffering from a severe cold, hut with five or six days’ quiet rest Dr. Grace, his medical tttendant, expec’s that he wi l ! be able to resume his official duties. The new system of delayed telegrams will come into force on and after January 2nd. Telegrams of this class will be posted to the address immediately on receipt at the telegraph offices to which they are addressed, and will lie delivered over public counters, thiongh private boxes, or by first delivery by the letter carrier, instead of being delayed until the morning as hitherto. This class of* telegram will be subject to delays when the wires are '•ngaged by messages which have a prior right to transmission. The charge is a tentative one, and ftiay be cancelled at the end of three months, or varied in such manner as the Post-master-General may determine. In the Supreme Court this morning Mr E. T. Gil lon, on behalf of Mr J. Faoslone Adams, of London, proprietor of the copyright of the opera of Mariiana, obtained an interim injunction to restrain the Majeroni Opera Company from performing (bat opera in the colony, pending the action taken against them for infringements of copyright. Christchurch, December 20. Considerable interest is taken here in the matter of the dead hand picked np on Sumner beach last Wednesday. Though a ring upon it has been identified as Howard’s, who was drowned on October 10th, the Life Insurance Offices interested have not paid the amount of the policies to the widow. Howard was insured for between £2OOO and £3OOO in various offices, including the Government. A large number of medical men have seen the hand in order to give opinions as to the time that has elapsed since death. An inquest is to be held at 2 p.m, to-morrow. Napier, December 19. In Chambers to-day it was agreed that the libel actions Grubb v. the Evening News, and the Evening News v. the Waipawa Mail, and Sawkins v. the Waipawa Mail, shall be tried at Wellington. The Evening News is to bear the extra expense to which plaintiff and defendants will bn put. D comber 21. A bathing fatality occurred yesterday afternoon iu the Mutakuru river.

Three sons of Mr J. William* and another lad named Birch had been swimming till they were tired, and on returning to the land, just before entering the belt of long weeds, Arthur Williams, aged 17, went down. Birch tried to save him, but getting oveicome, had to struggle ashore. The body was subsequently recovered. At the inquest a verdict of accidentally drowned was returned. . 1(1 Taupo, December io. TeKooti, with 80 mounted followers, passed here late yesterday afternoon, en route for Wairoa, East Coast. Patea, December 21. A man named Robert Fetch, living at Woodyillej attempted suicide by stabbing himself with a sheath knife. The wound is dangerous, but hopes are entertained of his recovery. He is reported to have been drinking lately.