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Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 410, 14 July 1908, Page 4

There was a somewhat startling denouement to the trial of R. J. Surrey in the New Plymouth Supreme Court Chamber last Monday afternoon oiffa charge of cattlestealing (says the Taranaki Herald.”) As accused left the dock after being acquitted, someone'amcngst the large number of spectators clapping, and two or three others began to take it up. Mr Justice Edwards demanded the reason for it, and simltaneouly a policeman dived into the crowd and grabbed the offender. 11 What do you mean by your conduct, sir?” sternly enquired his Plonour. The elderly culprit mumbled that he could not help it. “Couldn’t help it! You are fined forty shillings for contempt of Court,” said his Honour. “And see that he pays it,” he added to the police. An inquest was held at Masterton into the circumstances attending the death of the infant child of Mrs E. Payne, a resident of Mlkimiki. The mother, in her evidence, said she was subject to fits, and on the day of the child’s death had two in the afternoon. She was alone in the house, and was dressing the child. Feeling a fit coming on, she intended to lay the child on the sofa, but instead of doing so, she must have put it on fire, for when she recovered she found herself stretched across the oven, with the child at the back of the fire, burnt to death. A verdict of accidental death was returned, with a rider that it was most deplorable that a woman in such a Itate should be left alone, especially in charge of children. “There was nothing ‘ infra dig’ in the work, was there?” suggested Mr Wilford during the course of his cross-examination of a gardener who was giving evidence in Wellington Magistrate’s Court case in reference to a dispute over the formation of a lawn. Witness looked puzzled for a time, and then a flash of intelligence swept over his countenance as he replied with spirit: “ Indeed, there was as hard digging in that job as on any other job.” Counsel and His Worship exchanged glances, His Worship remarking drily, ‘ ‘ That was lost. ’ ’ The number of estates of deceased persons finally certified for stamp duty this month was 186. The largest were those of John Duncan (Wanganui), ,£76,775 ; James A. Miller (Auckland), ,£35,247 ; Herbert Austin (Wellington), ,£32,662 ; Isaac Sargent (Canterbury), ,£23,646; James Reid [ (Auckland), ,£23,320; William W. ■Hirst (Hawke’s Bay), >£21,175.