PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 3124, 6 November 1886, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

[UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, November 5. Government have accepted the tender of a Christchurch contractor for the erection of the new Government Printing Office. The price will not be mentioned until the tender is signed. G. S, Cooper, Under-Secretary for the Colony, and A. W. Brown, Mayor of We lington, have returned from " Australia, the former from the Sheep aud Cattle Conference at Sydney, and the latter from the Mayor of Sydney’s jubilee festivities. A child named Nellie Peterson, who was run over by a horseman named Win. Pekington, at Carterton, on Wednesday, died to-day from fracture of the skull. Pekington has been arrested. THE BARRIER ISLAND MURDER, Auckland, November 5. The preliminary investigation into the Great Barrier murder, with which Caffrey and Penn are charged, began to-day. Owing to (he crowd in the Court the place had to be cleared. Reston, Governor of the gaol, made a statement to the Bench, emphatically' denying the alleged interviewing of Caffrey and Penn, who, at time of the publication of the .statements had only seen their counsels. Sergeant Pratt on behalf of the police authorities made a similar assertion. The evidence of the girl Grace Graham occupied all day and was clearly and unhesitatingly

given. It damaged Caffrey, but tended to exculpate Penn of any share in the actual deed. She gave au account of what transpired during the voyage of the Sovereign of the Seas from Auckland to the Great Barrier. Caffrey and Penn discussed their plans, which were to carry off Mrs Seymour (Caffrey’s former sweetheart), and, if Taylor resisted, to cut off bis ears or tongue, so that he should not tell who did it. The men landed very early in the morning, and slept a short time on the beach before starting for Taylor’s house. The girl says she was still on board the cutter. Penn went first. According to arrangement he was to go and ask for butter and put Taylor off his guard, ■while Caffrey procured the girl. If Taylor or his sons offered resistance weapons were to be used. At this stage Napier, counsel for Penn and the girl, objected to the girl being further questioned until the charge of being accessory after the fact was withdrawn. The Bench disallowed the objection, but cautioned th« girl not to criminate herself. Ultimately she was discharged, and the charge against her withdrawn.