INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 8, 9 January 1880, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

: [Pbess Association. J :..-,'■ > Wellington, Friday. A man named Crofton, a steerage pas-".-.Benger.per steamer Star of the South, from „' Xyttelton to Wellington, was lost during the ■ passage. He was last seen at 10.30 on £; Wednesday night, when he retired to bed, v' and at 8 o'clock yesterday morning he was ~ missing, and no trace of him could he found. ;- No reason can be given for his disappearance. - He 'was about 35 years old, v and quite sober when last seen.. . >. „ . . Christcptjrch, Thursday night. At. the distributionfof prizes won at the Lyttelton,. regatta, Captain Wilson, of the \i\ schooner, Annie Morgan, suggested that next :-s->year the course for the champion race should -;■:.; be made along one outside the Heads. By V^doing'-this the Committee would ensure the "'pre'sehse of ten large Auckland vessels. ->• Atavnieeting of the Volunteer Review \; Committed-Major Lean estimated the atten'Cdance 6f Volunteers here at Easter at 1900 , men A programme was sketched as follows: Friday, a&ivki of visiting corps ; Saturday t .morning, inilitary exercises in part under own officers ; evening, grand promenade .*■>.- coneeirl^; the "drill shed enclosure ; Sunday, church parade ;Monday, review and volunteer ball in the evening. A^laborer working in the Lyttelton graving dock had his ankle severely injured through a afone rolling off the top of the cliff and striking him while at work* ;'_ A gra%s fire caused by sparks from a railway engine occurred yesterday at Rangibra. The Fire Brigade turned out and stopped the progress of the fire when in close .proximity to a large field of oats. f,{ In the Supreme Court J. J. Lowe, for- : merly a station holder at Ellesmere, charged : with forgery was sentenced to two years. IT. ;H. Valpey is being tried for embezzling "/monies belonging to the Railway Employees /fOOiety, |

Arrived at Lyttelton late last zright.Kemonstrance, barque, from Glasgow, 97 dayi out Shehas eight passengers on board, am three Clydesdale entires. ixtu Friday. When sentencing a man named Osborne who was yesterday convicted for arson, anc sentenced to six years for having set fire t( an unoccupied store in Christchurch, Judgt Johnston stated that if the premises set fin to had been inhabited he would have sen tenced the prisoner to imprisonment for life, It is reported to-night that Osborne had confessed to causing several fires, two oi which were very expensive. Messrs Edwards and Benuets bonded stores were one ff these, and he appears to have been a perfect Cyrus Haley.' His demeanor in ( loiu-t was very impudent. To-day J. P. Lowe, of Lincoln, was sentenced to two vears hard labor for forgery and ottering. In Valpey's case, charged with- embezzling fhe f nuds of the Railway Benefit Society, the evidence broke down, and he was acquitted. Eobert Poynter for receiving stolen property was sentenced to two years hard labor. The Clydesdale entires, which arrived from Glasgow per barque Remonstrance, consist of one three-year-old for Mr MclntyreaMerino Downs Farm, Tapanui, and two two-year-olds for Paton's farm,' Milton, Otago Theyarea.l fine animals, and arrived hi good cq^y ltioQi A telegraphonie concert is shortly to be given at Rangiora. Nearly all the farmers of Southbridge and Lakeeide districts have gathered in hay with little or no loss. There are now several machines threshing grass seed, of which ,there is a plentiful supply. So , promising are the crops in these di&tricts' that farmers are looking forward to a yield of 50 or 60 bushels an acre, as against 20 reaped last year. A spring uuder the engine on the Eyton branch line broke last night, and being stopped for half an hour was packed Up temporarily, and on resuming the journey the packing gave way, the engine left the metals, the wheels being buried to the axles, the carriages remained on the line, but the passengers were much startled by the shock. They returned to Kaiapoi and then went home in buggies. An enquiry will probably be held as' to the cause of the accident. Ikvercargill, Friday. In many parts of Southland the turnip crops are an absolute failure, owing to the continued drought, and the frosts also so damaged the potatoes, that the yield cannot be large, while the premature ripening patches of grain will lower seriously the large average reckoned upon a few week ago John Harford, late steward of the May Queen, was yesterday committed for trial on four charges of larceny, and remanded on three others, including one for having, in his possession house-breaking tools. In the accused's box was found dark lanterns, files and a " niddy" key. Dunedin, Friday. The City Bench, in committing a woman to gaol for shop lifting, strongly expressed disapprobation of goods being exposed outside shop windows, so tempting people in penury to commit theft. The trial of the Waimate bush fire case is fixed to take place at Dunedin on March 25, before special juries. Five small insolvencies filed this week. 'A case of suicide by poisoning occurred in town yesterday afternoon, the victim being an old pensioner, 57 years of age, named William Esmond. During the past few days he had been drinking, and yesterday he procured from the shop of Neal, herbalist, 4d worth, of poison, saying he wished to destroy some rats. After taking the poison he was brought to the hospital, but died an hour and a half after admission. He received his -last remittance only about a week ago, and some, time since was separated from his wife. From a statement he made in the hospital it appears he was jealous of her. James Taylor, an old resident of Cromwell, committed suicide on 'Wednesday night. _ . t The remainder of the passengers by the ship Auckland have been removed from the quarantine station. Oamaru, Friday. The valuation list of the Oamaru Municipality shows the rateable annual value to be £58,272. Hamilton, Friday. At the Waikato races on the first day there was fine weather and a large meeting, over 1000 people being one the ground, a3* well as three totalisators and twenty-three bookmakers. The Hurdle Eace was won by Rutherford's . Sportsman, Mclvor's Grey Momus 2nd. Maiden Plate : Piscatorious 1, Emus 2, Traducer colt 3. Wanganui, Friday. Mr Cross, of Cross Brothers, has received a reply from the Commissioner of Telegraphs to the petition sent to Mr Baliance for presentation relative to the establishment of a telegraph station at Totaranui, Blind Bay. The Commissioner states that the Government have taken the matter into earnest , consideration, and as soon as existing financial circumstances will permit they will comply with the request.