ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4530, 27 September 1875, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Whilst assisting some workmen to move a breakdown crane at the store at Pipitea Point, connected with the constructed railway, on the 13th, an accident occurred to the storekeeper, Mr. Putman, by which he lost one of the fingers of his left hand and had two other fingers severely injured. The sufferer bore the pain very pluckily, and having been persuaded to leave the premisses to have the injured hand attended to, subsequently returned as if nothing had happened. , . * In the R. M. Court on Monday, 13th mst., a man named Charles Scott was committed for trial on a charge of larceny. He expressed his intention of proving an alibi, stating that he could show he was, at the time the then was said to have been committed, in another place. The prisoner aroused suspicion of _ his , guilt in a most simple manner. He was in a pieshop with a friend, and the two getting purse-proud began boasting, each one that he could show more money than the other. This led to the prisoner pulling out a ten-pound note, which it appears is the property of the prosecutor, Mr. Bahl. The only case of arrest reported at the police station on the 14th was that of ;i man, charged with drunkenness, who was literally " saved from his friends " by Constable Macdonald. The man was seen loitering about the street, being accompanied by a few of the sharping fraternity, who, with their peculiar ability to ferret out prey had seized upon him, and would soon have operated, and, as it subsequently turned out, very successfully too. On being searched at the police station, a sum of nearly £SO in gold was fou d secreted on his person amongst a collection of. dirty rags, plugs of tobacco, and small tooth combs. The man is unknown to the police, and was too stupidly drunk to give his name.

It is not .often that the police are able to follow up a clue in the case of robbery of money, identification being so difficult, but an instance of success comes under notice. A few weeks ago a sum of money —a little over £2o—made up mainly of bank notes, was lost from a bedroom in one of the principal hotels of the city, but although strong suspicion rested on a certain person, the police were unable to act with any prospect of success. Fortunately, however, the loser had taken the numbers of the notes, and one day last week a person was found in possession of a note corresponding with the number given in at the police station. On being interrogated, he discovered the name of the person from whom he had obtained it, and farther inquiries traced it back to a man named Charle3 Scott. As he could give no satisfactory explanation of how he came by it, he was on Saturday taken into custody, and this morning, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, he will be charged with having stolen the money. ;• A painful accident occurred on Monday, 6th instant, on board the barque AshburtoD. The second mate of the ship, Mr. Owen, sustained, a fracture of the leg below the knee, while superintending the shipment of ballast. A plank had been lowered down from the hatchway, and one end rested on the bottom, whilst the other was supported by the sling at an angle of about forty-five, Mr. Owen was climbing up this plank when it slipped from the sling, and hi 3 leg was broken in. the falL The injured man was at once conveyed to the hospital in a cab, and received prompt attendance. On examination, the fracture was discovered to be simple, but it will prevent the sufferer from joining his vessel on the* outward voyage, much to : the regret of the captain, as Mr. Owen is an able officer. During the boat drill on board the Rodney on August 30th a serious accident happened to a man named William Cooper. _ An eyebolt broke and the hook attached to it flew up and struck V™, causing fracture and dislocation of the jawbone. He - was immediately conveyed " to' the ho3pitaL The office of Messrs. Izard and Bell was the scene of an extensive gas explosion on the 20th instant. At abou£ nine o'clock Mr. Salmon, one of the clerks, went to the strongroom, which used for keeping the books and important documents. Upon opening the door he noticed that the ga3 had been escaping, but would appear to have considered it of little consequence.' Shortly afterwards he returned with a match for the purpose of lighting the gas. Having arrived at the door with the lighted match, a loud explosion took place, and Mr. Salmon wa3 thrown back somp feet. It is needless to say that he received a severe shock, and his face was burnt, but beyond that he sustained no injury. The effect of the explosion on the room, however, was remarkable. Though strongly built of brick, and bound with iron, it was completely shattered, the walls being torn asunder, and the iron bands bent into every conceivable shape. One of the end walls was forced out from the sides to the extent of a foot, and the bricks and mortar were scattered in all directions. But the damage was not confined to the strongroom. A door at the end of the passage, which runs parallel with the room, was split in several places, and the blast travelled through the hall (a considerable distance), to the outer office, and smashed the glas3 of the outer doors, scattering in its passage a number of hats which rested on the pegs in the hall. As to the cause of the escape it can only be conjectured that the gas must have been turned on accidentally overnight. Although the damage done was con--1 Biderable, it must be regarded as an exceedingly fortunate circumstance that the consequences were not more seriou3. - • An inquest was held on the 23rd at the Hutt, on the body of Susannah Scholes, aged eighteen months, who was - found drowned in a waterhale at Petone, the depth of tho water in the hole being twenty-four inches. The evidence of the relatives of the child proved that she had strayed away from her father's house, and that through some misadventure Bhe was drowned. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the evidence. About two o'clock on the morning of the 17th a fire occurred in Masterton. A new house near the Club Hotel, which is being built for Mr. Williams, saddler, and which the carpenters had not yet quite done with, was found to be in flames. The fire was first discovered by Mr. Donald, who lives near the building, and he aroused the people in the hotel. Several - persons then came to the place, but these were not many, there being no fire-bell, fireengines, or fire brigade in Masterton. The house was then blazing through one corner of the roof. Mr, Donald states that when he first saw the flames they were just breaking through the roof. Though the creek was close at hand, their being no appliances for, using the water, nothing could be done to save the building, but the bystanders got out such of the carpenters' tools as they could find. The house was completely burned in an hour, but being built of green timber, those who were present are confident that had the services of a fire-engine been available at the first, much of the place might have been saved. The building,' a four-roomed cottage, was worth about £UO, and was not insured, we believe. '