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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 96, 22 April 1880, Page 2

A t)unediu tress Association telegram says : — The result of Butler's case has created profound surprise. His defence, when examined critically, is strong, shallow assumptions, abuse of witnesses, and gross misstatements. The feeling is extreme. Wonder prevails in the community that the jury could be so wholly influenced by it, or that the judge failed to see its contradiction. The Times 9ays :— "The verdict strikes us as a surprising one, Considering the strength of evidence against accused. We considered it not improbable that the jury would disagree, but a verdict of acquittal \va3 not looked for. The jury has declared that this murder has not been found out in Bpite of a Btrong chain of circumstantial evidence, which, in the opinion of ninety-nine out of a hundred persons who were familiar with the facts, implicated Butler. Seldom, we venture to believe, has any suspected person so narrowly escaped conviction through benefit of doubt. It has, indeed, been given to accused against strong presumptive proof in the absence of a shred of rebutting evidence, and without any materially weakening of the evidence of the Crown by the prisoner's cross examination. We must pay that the extremely unsatisfactory summing up of the judge, which, at least, in one important respect — viz , regarding the significance of the minute drops of blood on the prisoner's shirt — was, in our view, entirely misleading. It is in itself sufficient ground for trial for the murder of a woman whose blood still cries for justice, being insisted on by the Crown Prosecutor. There is no danger that prisoner will not have every consideration, rather the reverse is likely to ba the case It is fortunate for him that so far he has had to appear before so lenient a judge, and before twelve men capable of taking such charitable views of extremely suspicious circumstances. We are convinced the public mind will not bo satisfied unless the evidence be subjected to a thorough review at the bands of another jury, and we would fain hope such a review may take place before a judge more experienced in criminal cases." A correspondent sends us (fVst) the following amusing story : — Whilst reading your placard, outside the office, this afternoon, a tall, well-dressed man pushed his way through the small crowd and, speaking with a strong Cockney ascent, at the eanie titne pointing with bis umbrella to the line — "Alleged perjury by an M.H.It," said, " There's grammar for you." I asked where the error was, when he hastily* in a tone of scornful pity, and with great stress on the article, replied, " Why, it should be— ' Alleged perjury by a Hem H.R., of course.' " On the late passage of the steamer Wakatipu to Sydney, her popular commander, Captain Wheeler, attained his 50th birthday, and on this being made known the occasion was duly celebrated by the saloon passengers. The health of the worthy captain was proposed in the most flattering terms, and the toa9t was drunk with the greatest enthusiasm. The proposer, in the course of his remarks, wished Captain Wheeler and his family many happy returns of the day, to which a feeling and appropriate response was made. The travelling public who have sailed wifch him, as well as numbers of others in New Zealand will, we are sure, warmly echo the good wishes that were expressed on this auspicious occasion.— Post. A ghastly story of theft and death comes from Abingdon. It was discovered one Sunday recently that a quantity of uncooked meat had been stolen from a cupboard in the farmhouse of Cbilton. A search was made of the premises, when James Blissett, a laborer on the farm, was found lying on his back in the yard quite dead, hold a clasp knife in his hand. A piece of raw beef, resembling that which had been stolen, lay on his chest, and the appearance of the body left no doubt whatever that the unfortunate man had been choked while eating the meat he had taken. Speaking of Mr Bracken's " New Zealand Tourist," the Dunedin Star laughingly remarks: — "Here is some science, falsely socalled, apropos of the Hot Lakes. ♦ The fumes from the Tikitere springs have the effect sometimes of dissolving the gold ornaments of those who approach the pool.' Someone has been 'stuffing* the simple bard, ihe above is an allegory. It is true enough that many who visit Ohinemutu bring back with them less gold than they had on arrival ! The fact is, that the Maoris are adepts in blarney, and we can vouch for the truth of the following: — A lady who wished to ride from Wairoa to Rotomahana agreed to pay jEI for a horse. When she was ready to be off the Maoris asked if she would object to a mare, and brought round one that had a foal at foot, demanding an extra 10s for the young one. The money had to be paid. Mr Alfred Saunders, M.H.U., (says the Rangiora Standard) was served with a writ for £16,000 at Dunedin last week, at the instance of Messrs Edwards, Bennett, and Company, of Christchurch. For some years, remarks our contemporary, one of Mr Saunders' sons was the nominal partner of Mr James Henderson, of Christchurch. They had a large mercantile connection. In due course or time Mr Henderson thought best to retire from the partnership. It was done, a solicitor drawing up a deed of dissolution of partnership by which Mr Saunders agreed to be held liable for the debtg of the firm. Subsequently one of the former, amounting to £16,000, was claimed by Edwards & Co,, who were advised that, notwithstanding the clause in the deed of dissolution, Mr Henderson was liable, pressed him for the amount, driving that gentleman into the Insolvency Court. Proceedings of a similar nature are now taken against Mr Saunders. The Post of Tuesday last has the following :— A regular Handy- Andy type of Irishman came into the clerk's office at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday and asked for a summons. "Against whom ?" asked the assistant-clerk. " Shure I don't know," was the queer reply. " But how can we grant you a summons if you don't tell us who it is you want summoned ?" «Be dad now I remember , it's the man that does the railway work." " That won't do," said the clerk. " You must make out two copies of your account and bring them here, and then we can issue the summons ; not until." The man scratched his head and then went away. In about an hour he returned, and handed in to the clerk a new slate, on which was scrawled-" I, Pat , claim the sum of £6 19s for work done on the railway near Carterton. Signed, Pat ." In the lefthand lower corner of the slate a shilling postage stamp was stuck. The cleric smiled, aud told the simple-minded fellow that he had better come in later in the day, when Mr Mansford would be disengaged, and could have a talk with hio\ The man left his original account, and promised to come back and see the Magistrate,

In the March number of the Queensland Punch is a cartoon which is well drawn, which represents John Bull, wif h his hearty good-natured face, smiling with evident satisfaction at the result of the frozen meat experiment, his hand on his daughter Australia's shoulder. The Yankee butcher's face is expressive of anything but joy. John Bull remarks, "Well, brother Jonathan, I think I Bhall be closing my account with you soon. This little girl of mine says she can keep her old father supplied with meat." Under the head " Snow Flakes," relative to the foregoing, Mr Punch remarks, "As for the Chicago exporters, they'll think it the coolest trick they hare been played this year." The project of laying iron pipes in the ground to convey petroleum oil from the wells in Pennsylvania to tide water has been practically tested. The railroad interests have fought against it in the Legislature for several years, because they would loose the freighting of oil, which is a heavy interest in the Keystone State. The "Tide Water Pipe Line," which extends from Corryville to Willianisport — 104 miles -has commenced operations. The first oil was 147 hours in passing this distance, and it took 20,000 barrels of oil to fill the entire pipe. Six thousand barrels of oil pass through it daily. Large tanks for its reception are built at Williamsport. This is doubtless an important experiment, which will finally result in a complete overturn in the transportation of petroleum. Here, surely, is something new under the sun. We take the following from the N. Z. Herald: —The Regatta Committee have issued their programme for the principal events at the next festival, <o be held on January 29, 1881. It is somewhat early to specify such events, but as the subscribers decided that the next regatta should be an intercolonial one, the object of advertising at this early period is to make the other ports both in this and the Australian colonies where rowing men congregate, acquainted with the facts, in order that they may be induced to enter. The champion four-oared outrigger race is of the value of £125, and in point of value exceeds, we believe, any prize ihat has yet been offered in New Zealand. Ifc should certainly induce competitors both from the South and Australia to be present, and we donbt not that strong Sydney and Melbourne crews may, at our next regatta, be found testing their strength against various New Zealand crews. There are also valuable in rigger and sculler's races, so that for oarsmen a more liberal programme could not be provided, and we trust that it will meet- with that response which it deserves. The champion schooner race for vessels 50 tons and upwards still holds out the same inducement of £100, and tho9e who were present at the last regatta and saw this magnificent race, cannot but feel gratified that the committee see their way in coming forward once again with such a prize as must again induce entries that; will make such a race in the waters of the Waitemata, as it has hitherto been without parallel in any port south of the Line. Oa all hands (says the North Olago Times) it has been admitted that a number of Volunteers attending the Christchurch Review behaved in a most unbecoming manner. In most enses punishment did not follow their acts of incivility or larceny, although perhaps a day of reckoning will shortly arrive. In one instance, however, the perpetrator of a petty larceny did not escape Scot free. One of the Southern Volunteers, on the train reaching a small town soraewheie between Oamaru andChristchurcb, espied a number of loaves temptingly laid out on a stall for sale. His hunger and cupidity increased at the sight, and he reached for the bread, but without any intention of passing over its equivalent in value. The owner of the loaves immediately laid hold of the Volunteer, and the latter passed a loaf over to a comrade. The train starting at this moment, the soldier made frantic eiforts to eitricate himself from the clutches of the individual he had wronged, but the latter tenaciously hung on to his coat tails till, alas, the strength of the threads and material could no longer withstand the Btrain, and — he pursued the train without them. If the owner got nothing for bis loaf, he at all events holds sufficient cloth to make a start on a military coat for his son. A London special gives the following from the Standard's Berlin correspondent : — " Lately the Czar hardly ever left the Winter Palace. When he went abroad he was surrounded by a cloud of officers, who concealed the carriage and protected the inmate with their bodies. In the palace he was accessible only to diplomatists, dignitaries, and officers of the household. At the chapel, detectives occupied seats that were formerly reserved for distinguished visitors. Detectives infested the kitchen. Every dish was tasted by persons of rank, specially selected for the purpose. The Emperor did not even venture to open his letters, documents Btepped in poison having been repeatedly sent to him. Yet, with all these elaborate precautions, it occurred to nobody to search for an adver • tised and placarded mine in the basement. The Emperor and the Duchess of Edinburgh were seated in an apartment next to the dining room, when they heard the report of the explosion. The lights were extinguished and the gas-pipes burst. The Princess, officers, and valetß went blindly through the dark, and then poured promiscuously through the doors of the royal apartments. The sovereign was found groping his way from the fatal quarter. All who saw the sight — the picture of Alexander the Second leading his daughter away from the mine of dynamite—say it was one that could never be forgotten." Colonists who long to see what a London fog is really like should have been here the last week of January (says the European Mail). The week will long be remembered as one of the foggiest in the history of London, and also as one of the dreariest and most miserable. A dense black fog hung over the metropolis from Monday morning till Sunday night. Occasionally it would clear off a little about midday, but only to come amongst us again blacker than before. Street traffic, as may be imagined, was greatly impeded. Cabs and omnibuses, and indeed almost all the vehicles on the roads, were preceded by torch-bearers, and City men were quite one hour, and in some cases two or three hours late in getting home and coming to their places of business. All steamboat traffic on the river was stopped and pedestrians had to wend their way through the dense mass of vapor as best they could. Numerous accidents of all kinds are reported. It was not alone the fog either that the pedestrians had to bear the weather was also piercingly cold. In the various parks some thousands of people ventured upon the ice, but skating was carried on under great diffi ulties. Another Term for it. — The other day a teacher in a large school was illustrating natural history on his blackboard. After drawing an ostrich, he dilated on its powers of endurance and great strength, and finished his oration by saying it was the only bird a man could ride. " I know another," spoke up a little chap. " Well, what is it ? " asked the teacher. v A lark." " How can you prove that, my boy ? " asked the pedagogue. }-AH I know about it is," said the boy, " Every now and then mother says father's off on a lark ; and when he comes home he looks as if he had rode awful fast." | f A lisping boy was out in ihe back-yard pounding on a tin pan. The father came in tired and sullen, and being disturbed by the noise, cried out : " What is turned loose in the back yard—a wild animal ? " The little fellow replied •« Yeth, thir, ifs a pan-thir.'