The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY. DECEMBER 11, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 239, 11 December 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1866.

On the Ist inst., James Wilson, alias Murray, was charged before the Resident Magistrate, at Hokitika, with the murder of Mr. G. Dobsou, on the 28th May last. Mr. South appeared for the prosecution, and -- Messrs. Button and Bees for the prisoner. Robert Carr said Mr. Dobson accompanied him up the New River, May 25th, slept at '.h'is store, and on the 26th started alone for Maori Gully. William Anderson said he accompanied Mr. Dobson aud Mr. Fox from Maori Gully to Arnold towuship. Mr. Dobson then took the track leading towards Greymouth and proceeded alone. The inquiry was resumed ou the 3rd, when Mr. E. !r).'Fox, a gold buyer, said he parted with Mr. Dobson at the Arnold towuship, on the morning of Monday,, May 28th. G. R. Sayle, proved that he saw the prisoner ou the 31st May, on the track between Greymouth and j the first bridge, in company with Sullivan, Burgess, and Kelly, near where Mr. Dobson's body was found. J. T. Sullivan the informer said he became acquaimed Avith the "prisoner when the robbery of Fox was planned. Wilson begged Burgess to be one of the party and begged Sullivan to use his influence with him to get him to assist in sticking up Fox. Sulliv'an said he saw Wilson at the Grey, on the 28th May, and accompanied him and Kelly to a place to lay iu wait for Fox. It was arranged that Sullivan was to meet Fox, get into conversation and decoy him to where the intending murderers lay. Several persons passed and be did not speak to them. Dobson passed and was apparently mistaken for Fox by Wilson and Kelly. After ah interval Sullivan rejoined Wilson and Kelly, whom he fouud destroying some papers, one of which was an order to pay Mr. Dobson £45. I then, continues Sullivan, asked where the papers I came from — the prisoner was present — -when Kelly asked me if I' had met any person on the road. I raid that I had met a party on the road who AA-as neither a man nor a hoy. Tliey both said that the things belonged to' him, and that they Avoald'nt have put him up if he liad' not been galled, that is afraid, [ and Avas anxious to evade them, which made them I think that he had something. I then asked where the man AA-as — " where is he ?" One of them said, "just at the back." Kelly desired me to come and see him. The prisoner was present. Murray, Kelly, and myself went in a sort of track under a terrace, and behind a tent.' We straggled along and Kelly was more on the side than Ave. Murray was in the bottom. Kelly then came .down the terrace Ave were travelling, when the prisoner said, here he is. At the same time I observed a man about five' yards ofi* in a recumbent position. His head was lying over his right shoulder. "His face Avas 'inclined upwards, and his tongue protruded from his 'mouth, and tlie ..face Avas of a dark purple color. I recognised him ,by thei bundle placed beside hini, aiid also hy his dress, as the person I liad seen up the road some three-quarters of an hour before. ' ' I said, "the man is dead." Kelly replied. " Yes, he died from fright — did'nt lie Jemmy ?" Prisoner replied, "' Yes," or something to that .effect.. I then asked how it occurred, and what they intended to do with him. One j 'of them said, " That Avhen tying him up he fell down, I and they let him sit down where he was, and. he died I from fright." I Avas under a little excitement, ; but not so much as they. I asked Avhat Avas intended' to be done. Avith. the man,;when Kelly said, " Leave, him ! there," making a remark, that Dick (meaning Burgess) and he had once before left a man in his blankets, and he had been eaten. aAvay by . the rats. ' I suggested that the man should be buried, as it Avas near the road. They, then agreed that it Avould be better to bury him, and "^procuring f V shovel did so. i We then made up our 'swags into 'three bundles and Avent along the road' towards Grey'm'qutli. Mr. South then applied fbr the prisonerVremahd' till next day. - The annual public examination of the Nelson town' school's, is appointed to commence to-morrow,' the • 12th iftst. As a matter of course, the parents and friends are invited,

but they seldom attend/' It' would |fte w'ell however, if they did attend, as their pr£sen[ce would encourage the children a"u|/¥he teachers also. There are six town schools to be examined, containing about TOO children. The Hanseatic Minister has nominated' Otto Wiesenhavern, Esq 1 ., to be ■'Consul at Nelson for Hamburgh, and his Excellency the Governor has accepted the nomination provisionally. A curious story is told by the Ballara't correspondent .of the Geelong Advertiser, who says : — There is a curious story "going the rounds here just now. It appears that years ago, when the Inkermahu a!hd -Durham Company's claim, -was 'held by the Tannery Company, the wife of one of the then shareholders, who is credited with 'being "a voyaute, insisted that ground, richer than any ever struck in Ballarat would be in time : found in a certain portion 'o ; f the m'ine. '^Tlie matter was not noticed much at the jt'ime, but lately some exceedingly good ground has been struck in the precise spot indicated, and there certainly appears some probability of the lady's prophecy .being verified. Within the last month 'or so the same female has become impressed with tiie conviction that an immense nugget is to be found about eighty feet below the surface, at a spot'sbmeWhe're within the township boundary; bti t' of ''cbursfe the exact spot is not seated. A "project "is now on foot to buy the property under which 'the nugget is said to lie, 'and to form a 'small company to sink to the required depth. 'So thoroughly does the husband 'of the clairvoyante believe in his better half's assertions, that he has ofTered to take two-thirds of .the shares in the 'new company, and has given, proof that he dan have no hidden object in getting the project iioated. Exertions are being made to bring the Bay of Islauds coal-fields into working order. Dr. Hector the geologist, has hiade his report upon them," and they .will be leased. The terms are to be advertised both in this colony and Australia. The Marlborough Press complains that the arrival and departure of the Picton stearrters after snn-doAvn and before dawn has now become the rule, to the inconvenience of passengers, shippers of cargo, and the unfortunate hands on board, who are compelled to spend the time that nature requires for recruiting the system for next day's labor, in discharging and taking in cargo. G. 11. Moore, Esq., of Glenmark, was recently charged at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Kaiapoi, with being the owner of 1(5,000 Scabby sheep, and fined £758, to be remitted if a clean certificate could be produced by May 6, 1867. We (Evening Post) are sorry to see from our Auckland files that our enterprising fellow townsman, Mr. Standwell, has not succeeded in carrying out his scheme of opening baths afc Auckland. His Lordship the Bishop of New Zealand held a confirmation service at Taranaki ion the 27th ult., when 27 young persons were confirmed. Dr. Bennett, the Registra-General, and family purpose residing permanently in Wellington. We (M. Express) notice that the extensive saleby Mr. Dodson, of sheep belonging to Mr. 11. Redwood, lias. been postponed to Wednesday, January 9, 1867. The Tauranga Argus, a new journal on the East Coast,"made its appearance on Nov. 24. The Marlborough News says that certain gentlemen who succeeded iu recovering the "Atlantic cable of 1865 are to be kiiighfed^ amongst whom is Mr Canniug, brother 'to Charles Canning, Esq., formerly a resident in this province. We (Express) believe 1 it is the intention of the Blenheim Cricket Club to challenge: !'iha Wairau Valley Club to play a match on New Year's Day ? as „t^e .Volunteers are not to have their annual "shooting' match and sports. , Ifc is proposed to "raise '.it rifle Voluqteer ' corps ,m the Province , of .'j^arauaki. .^hile noticing' the fact we (E. Post) express^our "surprise th¥t 'tlie -ybung' men v of Welliiigton 'are so .devoid .of jil^miUtary ardour to aUow .the -Empire^ be . the on^ly ibwn of any magnitude iu New Z^iaiii : .'without a rifle company.