TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4911, 18 December 1876, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(EBB PRESS AGENCY.) Grahamstown, Saturday.

The county elections will probably be contested, the nominations in each riding exceeding the number of members returnable.

A considerable number of men were discharged from the Piako (sic) Company’s mine to-day—seventy, it is said. The battery is about to be stopped. The prospects are very dull for Christmas.

Auckland, Saturday. Frederick Harper, an Irishman, was drowned at Mongonui in a creek while in a fit. Alexandra, Saturday.

There is a large native meeting going on at Hikurangi, natives from all parts attending. Major Te Wheoro has gone up on the part of the Government.

Tawhaio, with the Kawhia natives, returned here yesterday. Christchurch, Sunday.

The anniversary proceedings on Saturday were a great success. The weather was fine. The athletic sports were attended by 12,000 persons. During an interval in the races the Hon. John Hall presented a testimonial of plate and money, value £BOO, to Mr. Rolleston, ex-Superintendent. The presentation was made in front ot the grand stand, and was marked by great enthusiasm. The sports were all well contested, and everything passed off well. Numerous excursions and picnics took place during the day. In the evening the Canterbury Fire Brigades had a torchlight procession, which was very successful. There was also a great display of fireworks at the Catholic School. Dunedin, Saturday. At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, with reference to the petition of certain ship captains at Port Chalmers who disapproved of the punishment of the master of the Thomasina McLellan for the method of dealing with refractory seamen, members contented themselves with simply passing a resolution approving ot what the committee had done in sending it to ■ the Minister of Juatice. The Chamber received a communication from the Victorian Humane Society requesting cooperation of the association in order to secure if possible uniform legislation in the matter of providing the most efficient and approved lifepreserving apparatus on board all vessels registered in the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, and requesting the Chamber of Commerce to urge upon the New Zealand Government to bring the subject before a conference of representatives from various colonies, who will shortly meet in Melbourne. .. The Harbor Board is going to float the remainder of the loan of £IOO,OOO. : Invercargill, Saturday. The Junction Hotel, a large building containing upwards of thirteen rooms, bar, &c., situ < ted four and a-half miles from Invercargill, has been totally destroyed by fire. The story connected with the affair is a very sad one. The hotel belonged to Mrs. Ott, whose husband died about a year agoj leaving all his property to his wife. It being known that Mrs. Ott was about to marry again, the relatives of her family interfered, and insisted that she should make over the property to her children—five boys. For some time back Mrs. Ott showed evident symptoms of insanity. She was taken to reside a few days with her uncle at Longbush, but has never been placed under strict surveillance. Her friends succeeded in persuading her to transfer to her children the property. Since then the ardor of the man who wanted to marry her has somewhat cooled. The hotel has been in the market lately for lease, and yesterday a party went to inspect it. Mrs. Ott was averse to leaving the place, and this apparently preyed upon her mind. This morning, between 6 and 7 o’clock, she went upstairs, and deliberately set fire to several rooms. She then came down stairs, took one of her boys inte her own room, set fire to it, and locked the door. There was only a man servant and a maid servant on the premises. The man went upstairs and extinguished the fire. Then, not seeing Mrs. Ott about, he went to look for her. He broke into her room, and, with great difficulty, got her and her boy out. The place was quickly all in a blaze, and, although several neighbors were soon on the spot, only about £loo_ worth of furniture was saved. The building is insured in the National for £SOO, the furniture for £3OO, and the stock for £IOO. The National Insurance Company is re-insured with the Royal Insurance Company to the amount of £3OO on the furniture and £IOO on the stock.