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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 50, 29 February 1868, Page 2

Charles H. Witherby was brought up to-day at the Resident Magistrate's Court, haviug arrived from Cob Jen this morning by the Kennedy, charged with having forged a cheque on the Union Bank, for £19 14s, purporting to be signed by Mr H. Wrigg, C.E. The prisoner, who had been employed as a workman on the preliminary railway survey, was fully committed to take his trial at the approaching Assizes. The criminal sittings of the Assizes commence on Monday next at 10 o'clock. In addition to the names of of the two prisoners already mentioned as beiug for trial on charges of arson and larceny, may now be added those of Henry Hickey, committed on the 22nd inst. by the Richmond Bench on a charge of attempt at rape, and Charles H. Witherby, committed this day for forgery. We learn that at the Amuri Races, which came off on the 20th and 21st inst., the Maiden Plate was won by Mr G. M'Rae's Tussock, the Corinthian Cup by Mr Mallock's Backbiter, ridden by F. Gay, the Amuri Plate Handicap and the Duke of Edinburgh Plate beiug both won by Mr Money's Rob Roy. A cricket match was played yesterday afternoon at the Botanical Gardens, between two elevens composed of members of the Band of Hope Club aud the Wood Club, respectively, in which the latter achieved an easy victory, scoring 121 to the 71 made by their opponents. The batting on the Wood side was very good, while the weak point of the Band of Hope seemed to be their fielding, which was anything but satisfactory. Injustice, however, to the unsuccessful team, it should be stated that they had only four hours' notice previous to the match takiog place, aud several of their best players were prevented from attending by their business engagements. A considerable number of persons assembled yesterday evening about 8 o'clock, in consequence of an announcement by Mr M'Conkey that, having effected several improvements in the furnace &c. of his steamengine, he would give an exhibition at that hour of the machinery whilst in full operation, with a view to prove that no danger to the surrounding property need be apprehended. It appears that the furnace has been considerably enlarged, so as to afford more room for combustion of the shavings with which it is fed, and a wire gauze, with a mesh of about one-eigth of an inch, has been introduced, through which every particle must pass before it enters the chimney. Under the previous arrangement, this gauze was continually choked up, but now a large supply of oxygen is admitted, by which the smoke is almost entirely consumed, and this choking of the. gauze is obviated. If we may judge from the experiment made last night, the result of these alterations is perfectly satisfactory. After watching the chimney for upwards of half an hour, none of the very few sparks which escaped from it were observed to travel more than three yards from it, and they were then immediately extinguished, whilst the smoke was so slight aa to be hardly deserving of notice. We are justified in stating, on the authority of others more conversant with such subjects

than ourselves, that, had the night been •windy and tempestuous, the sparks would have been extinguished still earlier. At all events one thing is certain, that Mr M'Conkey's engine in its present condition, is not likely to prove more dangerous to the surrounding properties that other kindred establishments in this city. The fine schooner Margaret Campbell, from Hobart Town, arrived here this morning. She brings a miscellaneous cargo of wheat, flour, oats, potatoes, shingles, &c, and is consigned to Mr Gibbons. Captain Scott reports the barque Cautero, of Newcastle, off Cape Farewell. The Keunedy arrived at Hokitika last Sunday morning, was detained until Wednesday through the fresh, when she left for the Grey, where she arrived the same tide ; landed cargo, obtained 40 tons coal, and left for Westport at 1 p.m. on the 27th, called off Fox's, landing several passengers, and crossed the Buller bar at 10 p.m. on the 28th ; left Westport at 3 p.m. same day, and arrived here at 11 this morning, after a very pleasant passage of 20 hours from the Buller.