OAMARU ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 206, 7 February 1873, Page 3

OAMARU ITEMS.

Harvest operations, which are now general, have of late been interrupted by very high winds, blowing with but little intermission, occasionally from a northerly direction, but chiefly from the south—the latter having brought with it showers of hail and rain. This day (Monday, 27th January) is exceedingly boisterous. If the weather continues damp, most of the grain must of necessity go into stack, and stand there some time before it is fit for the mill, or to ship; and there will also be much shaken out. On some large areas the ripening has been so general as to necessitate working every available machina from the earliest dawn of day into the dark of night, making almost day and. night slaughter of it. For farmers (especially those who are simply grain growers) this is the culminating point of then' whole year's labor. They must feel intensely anxious. It is to be hoped this rueful weather will not continue. There is nothing else worthy of noting, except two nasty police court cases. A man. was committed for six months' hard labor before Mr. Parker, R.M., for an attempted rape on a little girl on the plains. The case of assault on farmer Gray (of which you will have heard) is to be heard to-niorfow. One of Gray's best witnesses has died suddenly, making it more favorable to his vicious assailant. At Oamaru, on the 28th ultimo, John Leitch was charged with assaulting and beating one William Lockhart Gray on the 12th of January. Mr. O'Meagher appeared for prosecutor ; and Mr. Julius for accused. Dr. Wait, who was called as the first witness, deposed to having attended complainant, and described the injuries he had received. His face, head, and eyes were contused and swollen; he was so much injured about the head and face as to be quite unrecognisable. Complainant afterwards b.ecame confused and wandering. He was suffering from congestion of the brain. Considered at one time that his life was in danger. Witness ordered twenty leeches to be applied. The prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the District Court, bail being accepted in the sum of £24o—viz., himself in £l2O, and two sureties of £6O each.