INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4384, 8 April 1875, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

VICTORIA.^ A telegx-am has been received by the Government from the Agent-General of the colony, Air. AXicMe, dated London, Alarch 18, coiToborative of the telegram already published by the Associated Press, notifying that the Privy Council has reversed the decision of the Supreme Court in the appeal case of Alount and Morris. n'“V-.o Alessrs. Aloore and Finlay, of the Robie Burns reef, Ballarat, have crashed ninety-one tons of quarts, 400 oz. of gold being the result. There is considerable excitement over the return. “A boy named Hogan, only fourteen years of age, while passing the Hew Lothair Company’s ground at Clones the other day,” the Ballarat Courier reports, “ espied a lump of "old which had accidentally been thrown out with the stones. He packed it up, and at once handed it over to the tributers. On being cleaned the weight of the waif was 550 z. The company rewarded the boy for his honesty.” The details of a somewhat remarkable suicide at Borooixdara have proved the subject of an inquiry held by Air. Candler. Henry Andersen, a Dane, living at Boroondara, after drinking heavily for some days, attempted to ciiminally assault Ms step-daughter, a young girl named Sophia Klenfeldt. The girl, however, escaped from him, and went to her mother in South Yarra, who returned to Andersen’s house with her during the evening. Mrs. Andersen, on arriving at her husband’s house, found Mm standing at the door with a gun. She remonstrated with him for his conduct towards her daughter, and said she would report it to the police. For this purpose she then left him, talcing her daughter away also. On returning with a constable, they found the door of the house locked. Airs. Andersen went to the back door and got in. On a light being procured, Andersen was found sitting on a stool with bis hack against the wall. A gun was leaning on his right arm, with the butt end on the floor and the muzzle close to his head. His light boot was off, and a piece of twine was fastened to the trigger of the gnn, and also to his big toe and the next one to it. Anderson was quite dead, and his face and clothes were covered with Mood. The body of the deceased was still warm, and the gun had evidently been lately discharged. Dr. Molloy, of Hawthorn, stated that the cause of death was a gunshot wound of the brain. He was of opinion that the deceased was of unsonnd mind, and under the influence of drink when he died, and also that he must have killed himself by putting the muzzle of the gun in his mouth, and then firing it off. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased, Henry Anderson, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by himself whilst laboring under temporary insanity. A STRANGE THEFT. Thomas Merritt and Thomas Dixon were charged at the City Police Court, Atelbourne, with stealing five saddles, &c., value £4O, from Alexander ATcKenzie, saddler, Bourkestreet west. McKenzie had known Dixon for twenty-one years, and had known Merritt since the 18th inst. On the latter date, Dixon introduced Alerrltt to AlcKonzie as a person who was going to Now Zealand with horses, and told him to get out four good saddles, which would cost £2l. Merritt said his name was George Black. The conversation took place in the Royal Saxon Hotel, Eliza-beth-street, and the three men went to the shop, which McKenzie opened with the keys he was cax-rying. He then left the keys on a bench in the shop. Merxdtt picked out four saddles and a rag, and asked for mountings. McKenzie went upstairs to got them, and on his return in five minutes found Dixon had disappeared with the saddles and rag. Merritt was there, and said Dixon had taken the things, upon which McKenzie said he must have the money, to which Alerritt replied that he was not going to pay without getting the saddles. McKenzie also missed Ms keys, and mentioned it. Alerritt said he would go after Dixon and find them. He returned in about a quarter of an hour with a boy named Doyle, who pointed out the keys on the flags outside. McKenzie had heard a “ click” just before this. They then went for a drink, and Alerritt said he would pay for the saddles, and then wont away. AlcKenzio did not see either prisoner after that, and never got his saddles back, or the money _ for them. McKenzie was quite sober. Dixon was seen to place a large bundle in a cab outside McKenzie’s, and drive off. A bundle containing tlio four saddles in question and a fifth was found in the stable of the Royal Saxon Hotel, in which McKenzie and the prisoners had been drinking. Next morning I Merritt took this bundle away, and subse-

quently Detective Mahoney found Merritt on board the s.s. Omeo, with the five saddles, ami arrested him. The same day he arrested Dixon at Kirk’s bazaar. Evidence was also given that the prisoners were men of respectable character. The defence was that the saddles were purchased and not stolen, Merritt was in charge of twenty-six horses. The prisoners were committed for trial, bail allowed to each prisoner in £IOO. HEAV SOUTH WALES. The northern mail coach capsized near Gnuuedali. Mr. Conroy, a squatter, had both legs broken, and other passengers were injured. The ketch Go-a-head has been wreckedcrossing the Manning River bar. Ho lives lost. Parliament has met. In the Upper House Sir J. G. Long-lunes was elected Chairman of Committees. In the Assembly Mr. AVisdom and Air. Allen were proposed for the Speakership. The debate which followed assumed a personal character. The Supreme Court lias granted a rule nisi to change the venue of the Joachim v. O’Shaunassy trials from Demliquin to Sydney. Airs. Davis, a midwife, has been committed for manslaughter for killing a settler’s wife by violence during confinement. The police magistrate at Kempsey reports tliii-ty-fonr families there rendered completely destitute by the late floods. The AVhampoa will leave a full ship with passengers and cargo. Mr. Driver has been elected Chairman of Committees of the Assembly. Air. Buchanan’s motion, censuring the Governor, was defeated by the previous question being carried. The Inferue, another French gunboat sent in pursuit of the escaped Communists, has arrived here. Ho tx-ace of the escapees has been discovered. Air. Robertson announced that it was the intention of the Government to ask for a sum for the relief of the sufferers by the late floods, and for repaii-s to x-oads and bridges. A vote of £SOOO was also to be asked for the Philadelphia Exhibition. The Government intended to revise the laud law, to modify the tariff, and introduce a Stamp Act. They would also bring in a Bill for the appointment of an extra judge. They would attend to the city wants, and deal practically with city affairs, as well as those of the goldfields. The question of the beneficial employment of prison labor, electoral' repx-eseutation, and x-ailway surveys, would also receive consideration. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. In the Insolvency* Court, the South Australian Bank prayed that the surplus realised from Levi and Co.’s estate, after paying 20s, in the £, might be applied to the payment of a proportionate dividend for interest which has accrued since 1886 on £89,635, being the amount of the debt due to the bank. Judgment was x-eserved. Daniel Brady has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for foi’ging an application xxnder the Real Property Act. Hearly £SOOO has.been collected for the Gothenburg fund, r The men at the Adelaide boot factory are on -strike owing to a reduction of wages. QUEEHSLAHD. The steamers Singapore and Adrid have landed 800 Chinese from Hong Kong. The rush to the Anna and Bloomfield Rivers has proved a hoax. The miners on the Normaijby River are doing nothing, hut the reefs on the Palmer are making a good show with “ dollies,” some giving loozs. to lewt. of stone. A letter from Honmea, received in Bx-isbane, says that a resident of the place, who was fonnerly a convict, cut Ms wife’s throat from ear to ear in a fit of jealousy. There are incessant rains, and the weather is misei-able for the holidays. At Cape Strong the south-easterly gale is unusually severe. The Sixxgapore arrived, hut the pilot was unable to board her, and she put to sea again. The Alary Aliller, from Adelaide, was also compelled to put to sea. The escort left Alilchester with nearly OOOOoz. of gold. The Government lias awarded Mulligan £IOOO for the discovery of the Palmer goldfield. Four hundred and fifty thousand acres have been applied for during the year under the Lands Alienation Act, 1868. TASAIANIA. An engine and tender upset on the railway, and one man was killed, being smashed to pieces. ___________