Miscellaneous Items.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1633, 12 February 1886, Page 4

Miscellaneous Items.

v A ''scene" m a court of justice is not an uncommon incident m many parts; of the United States, and seldom attracts much' notice- from tho general public. A more then usually sensational affair of this description took place, However, ecently at Sandta .Cruz, California, where it created - deep interest. Judge Rountree was i,, making' out the commitment of a man named John Kennedy; when the prisoner attempted to "clear out of ; the Oourt-rdoiii." He t wa^ immediately seized by a 1 constbte and a terrible ■struggle ensued. v Ke.unedy, who is a desperate charactoi and possessed of prodigious strength, was getting the better of the ofiicei, when the Judge, -whohad apparently ignored the disfur baace, and 'without ariy undue hurry lnul finished the writting bf the cpm r mitment, suddenly descended from the bench, and divesting himself of ; his coat,, mud, m a. stern voice, "Lea yi> him to me," Judge Rountree is < noted for bis reinarkhle muscular development, arid intense was the exciement of all present as he 'stood up" to the prisoner mah attaude of , dignity _ and determination. . There was hard hilting on both side*; but m less than three minutes Kennedy was m a frightful condition, and utterly unable to come up to time.?' The judge then rea*cended tlie bench, and, with a few impressive observations, imposed an additional sentence of 30day8*impiisonment oh Kennedy for contempt of court. : At Timaru, the worthy Mr Turnbnl), M. H. R addres-cd a school of , young adiep,l the gravamen of his discourse being an earnest advice to ' the young ladies hot to be too fine, not to ; confine themselves to the drawing- room ' and the piano, the fine rcotchefc work, ' and crlptpleen, and so on, but to take an earnest part m ibe common, work of the household. He pointed out that Rebecca, although a young lady of rank and wealth, did , not stay indoors twanging the timbrel, or whatever musical instrument was m fashion m Mesopotamia, but was m the habit of going to the well to draw ; the water wanted for the household. 'On being civilly requested,' she 'give a traveller a drink, and also performed the memalandlaborioiisdfficeofdiawiug water for tb?e" camels. A j'onng lady fo Timaru, 'however, writes thus: — **I would respectfully remind our worthy M. H. R. that there are 500 girls m this town who would wilhugly draw water for camels, or any other animals, if they could ' make sure of getting an Isaac at thewell, and get up quite as early m the . mnrning : as Rebecca did. We consider tliat young lady was very highly . favored m having a husband provided for her. m these days we have to use the best means at our command to attract, and then fail to get has - bands.

A clockmaker, named Leder, of Haynau, has made a remarkable clock. On the figure dial the usual hour and - f .minute numbers are not ieen, but m two squares only those figures whicj\ ahqw lhe\ present time. Tor exaiiiple^ ; Mib~ figures 3 (hour) and 6 (minutes) areneen. At th*. .oxpir&tion of • a luin'ntetbe number 6 disappears from the minute indicator, and 7 takes its place, the clock then showing 3: 7. The numlie s thus change till the sixtieth minute of the hour lias passed, when the figure 3 changes for 4, "and m tin? niinule sqnavtv- appear two syphers, 00. By thi.s quick yrny <>i" t.<'HV'S b ! 1 "? l un error; i v inipossihle. Tno clock keeps time ye»y ACc\iYAtely.-rr-Hotae yews.