INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 236, 26 November 1880, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

BRUTAL MURDER AT OPUNAKE.

New Plymouth, Friday. Information has just been received from Onnnake that Miss Dobie, the lister -in-law of Captain Goring, has been found murdered about two miles south of the Opunake camp. She went out for a walk during the afternoon, and not returning as expected, a search party was sent to look for her, when her body* was found in the flax with har head severed nearly from her body. Mr Bullen and tbe Coroner have proceeded to Opunake to hold an inquest. Later. He the murder— A man named Walter Stammard has been arrested on a charge of murdering Miss Dobie. Blaod was found an his hat, clothes, und boots, which he accounted for by his horse having cut his nose this morning. A pair of . fustian trousers were found within six feet of where the body was lying and also a piece of a bridle. Miss Dobie, with her mother, was about to proceed to England and had been on a visit to her sister Mrs Goring at the Camp at Capa Egmont where Captain Goring is stationed. She had been sketching in all parts of tha country and even at Parihaka where she had been most kiidly treated by To Whiti and the Natives. Mrs Dabie aid her daughter had gone to Opuuaks, and it is suppased that Miss Dobis had gone to sketch Ngatnu Bay where the Lord Worsley was wreoked about a mile and a half from the township, when she must have been waylaid by a ruffian who had ill traated and then murdered tbe poor girl. There is great excitement here over the affair as the young lady bad been oi a visit ana. was well kaown to many. Graat sympathy is generally exprassed for the matber and sister. New Plymouth, Th mrsdoy. Another break down occurred. this raorniag to one af the engines on the railway. Before reaching Inglewood the tires of the engines broke, and in that dangerous condition it had to come on to Sentry Hill. It is txpected that if new engines are not seat, the line will bave tb be closed. Complaints are loud, as no dependence can be placed by persons on reaching tbeir destination according to the time table. Auckland, Thursday. The proclamation issued re the Patetere land appoints the sitting of tbe Lsnd Court at Cambridge on the 15th January, at which one block of 249,000 acres will be adjudicated. The Court will also deal with lands at Hokianga, Whangarei, Thames, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Tolago Bay, Otaki, Wanganui, aud Patea. The Government have scheduled blocks of about a million acres in area, with regard to which they will proceed under the " Native Land Act, 1877," in order to set aside land equivalent to the Government advances from the date of the order of the Court. The remainder of the lands wili be opened to public competition. The chiefs of tbe Hanaura, Ngatimaniapoto, and Tengakau tribes were present during the expulsion of the ploughmen from. Mr Tole's land Rt Ngamoko, bat did no

interfere. The Natives now threaten depredations on M'Lean's land. Napieb, Thursday. The hotel at Te A ute was totally destroyed by fire last night. The building was insured for £300 in the National, and £300 in the Union, and the stock and furniture for £350 in the Union, of which the Standard holds £200. The claim of Mr Solomon, AttorneyGeneral of Fiji, to several sections in Napier, reported some time back, has engaged all the lawyers here, either for or against. Investigation shows that Mr Solomon conveyed the land 21 years ago to Mr G. Sheddon, and the owners of the sections have been consequently put to considerable expense for nothing. Wellington, Friday. The young man who was injured in the baths yesterday died at the Hospital last night. Murray, Roberts, & Co report under date, London, 22nd November :— " Wool series opened • with large attendance of buyers. Home buyers are the principal operators. Foreign buyers are operating cautiously. Prices for scoured show a slight advance, but Victorian greasy has declined a shade. 97,000 bales are catalogued." The charge of smuggling preferred against the captain and steward of the ship Wairoa is further remanded for a week. Croft, who started on the 48 hours go-as- . you-please tournament, had completed 80 miles at noon. Another publican bas been fined for selling spirits before the transfer of bis license was completed. Gisborne, Friday. Mr Porter has been elected Mayor of Gisborne after a close contest. Westport, Friday. Mr Munro was re-elected Mayor. Dunedin, Friday. Referring to the Australian cricketers ths Star says: — "We are given to understand that, as the result of recent negotiations, Mr A. Halifax, the representative of the team in tbis coloriy, will telegraph to-day to Mr Alexander offering to the team a lump sum for the New Zealand tour, and freeing them from all risk and expense in connection therewith. The terms are such as will render them at once acceptable to the Eleven and it may therefore be concluded that the visit of the Australians to New Zealand is settled. . Captain Robertson, the signal master at Port Chalmers, was drowned last night. On leaving the ship Dunediu he fell from the gangway into the water, and was picked up by a waterman's boat passing, but all efforts to resuscitate him proved unavailing. Deceased was 60 years of age. Mr Oliver yesterday received deputations from the Education Board re the school buildings vote, and from the Chamber of Commerce re tbe railway tariff- To the former he said that the allocation was dictated by the officers of the department. As to the votes in future, whilst he would always, to tbe full extent of his ability, Bee that Otago was given its fair share, he could hold out no hope that ths country would vote money, at any rate in the immediate future, as lavishly for Education purposes as in the past. To the Chamber he replied that the Otago railways cost £700 per mile more than tbs Canterbury department. In fixing the rates they mast be guided by outside competition. Special rates between Dunedin and Oamaru, Timsru and ;Chri«tchurch, were lower than they wsre formerly. He refused to receive a deputation of artizans because they were subordinates in a department, and should complain through the proper channel. Three insolvencies have been filed this week, ths principal ons being Joseph Macedo, bookseller. Liabilities, £2175; assets, £2126. Oamaru, Friday. A fire took place on Wednesday in Hampden bush, and, but for the exertions of several of the settlers, would bave resulted more seriously than it did. A quantity of fencing, firewood, land tools were burnt, and one or two dwellings had narrow escapes. Christohurch, Friday. Ths Acclimatiz-tien Society expect a consignment of Ligurian bees by the next San Francisco mail steamer. At the Wesleyan district meeting yesterday it was reported that there are 45 churches and 21 other places of Worship, 46 Sunday schools, 4799 teachers and scholars, and 11,221 in attendance at public worship in Canterbary. Yesterday a large number of stock left for the Dunedid" Agricultural Exhibition. »C«CCM»»»MM_-CMMCC»__-MC-__-----ra-_-«-MMCC»I^^P>M_»»WC«|C-> Hll|| 1