TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5098, 26 July 1877, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Wednesday.

, Judge Gillies to-day, in an appeal case, determined that the omission of the words, “ with the advice and consent of the Executive Council,” in Superintendent’s proclamation constituting highway districts, invalidated the districts, and prevented them from recovering in Court, He reversed the judgment in favor of the highway boards, for rates, given in the Court below. The decision affects the majority of highway districts throughout the provincial district.

The coursing meeting was a great success. Two dogs ran over the cliff, and both were seriously injured.

30,000 shares in the Union Company have been applied for already. A little girl named Ellen Litten was burned to death in a country district by approaching too near to a bonfire of rubbish. Her clothes were burned completely off the lower limbs. The poisoning at Rotorua occurred under the following circumstances: —Last Tuesday a fowl was cooked for a sick Maori child, who was too ill to eat it. The fowl was left in an iron pot until Sunday, when it was eaten by a party of ten persons. During the night they all felt ill; but thinking nothing of it, did not ask for European assistance until Monday morning, the 23rd, when a lad, 12 years old, who had partaken of the food, died. A girl died next night. The rest are now recovering, thanks to the exertions of Captain G. Main, who sent for Dr. Walker and his assistant-surgeon, Mr. Campbell. These gentlemen having arrived from Taupo, the patients are now under their care.

Last Saturday, whilst Mr. George Brown, of Gisborne, was turning off the boiling water from a painkiller bath, the back of the cauldron gave way, and he slipped in up to his neck. Being alone, he had sufficient presence of mind to make his way as fast as possible into the township. On being stripped of his clothes the greater portion of his skin came off. He is now in a very critical state. Napier, Wednesday.

The taking of evidence before the Commission in re the Waha Maori libel case proceeds very slowly. The examination, crossexamination, and re-examination of Arihi te Nahu, the first witness for the defence called by Dr. Buffer, has occupied four whole days. New Plymouth, Wednesday.

Reuben Newbegin, a settler living at Waitara, and of some means, has been missing since last Thursday, and no signs of his body can be discovered. This is the second man who has mysteriously disappeared within the last two years from Waitara, and has not been heard of. Active search is being made in the river for the body. Kdmaka, Wednesday.

A mining accieent occurred in Connor’s claim on Larrikins-terrace this morning. Three men were working on the face of the drive at the bottom of the shaft, when a heavy fall of earth took place. One man escaped with a few bruises ; the other two, Kennedy and Mulrouey, were covered with earth. Both men were released this afternoon. Mulroney was severely injured, and is not expected to recover. Kennedy sustained a fracture of the leg and other injuries. Christchurch, Wednesday.

The inquest on the body of Thomas Powell was resumed to-day. T. J. Joynt appeared for Khede and the woman Lynch. Detective Feast was examined first. He said he had several interviews with the deceased, and repeated what the latter said to him as to his meeting with the woman Lynch, and also what deceased said after he got to the house, which he thought was towards the South Belt. A man either was in the house or came in and asked him what he was doing there. He said afterwards he was standing outside in the front garden, and that there was some row with the woman, who was crying, and the man then rushed out of the house at him and stabbed him. He wrested the instrument away from the man, and went on to the footpath and appealed to some one, whom he begged to take charge of him, as he was stabbed. The man he spoke to would not stop, but either went through or over the fence. He then staggered on until he fainted, and a policeman took him away. The man who stabbed him had a long beard. (Khede wears one.) Inspector Peast then proceeded to describe arrest of prisoners. He said the woman opened the door. I told them there had been a row there the night before, and I had come to arrest them upon the charge of the murder of the man who had been there. Khede said, “ Oh, is he .hurt ?” I said, “Why he’s dead.” He then said, “Oh, I was afraid I had_ hurt him.” The woman then either really did, or pretended to swoon. After a few minutes I told them they would have to come with me, and the man said, “ Oh, my God, I was afraid of this; I was afraid I had hurt him.” They then began to get ready to come with me, and Khede commenced telling me all about the matter. I : cautioned him, and asked him if he thoroughly understood what he was talking about, if he knew who he was talking to; and I told him that what he said might be used against him. The woman was swooning, and he told her to get up, for the law would have to go on its course. He then said deceased had come to his house the night before, and that he had put him out; that he went up to the Borough Hotel and had a drink, and that he went back afterwards and found deceased in the house. He put him out again, and after that deceased cameandknocked at the door again, and was trying to get in. He (Khede) then picked up a tool, one which he had made himself, and which was lying on a. table in the front room, and went to the door. He was so worried that he did not know what he did, but he knew that he had run it into the man. He did not think it was so bad, an affair, but he was afraid he had hurt him. Other witnesses were called, but their evidence merely went to corroborate the previous testimony respecting deceased and Lynch drinking together, the row at the house, and deceased being seen on the footpath in front of the house complaining that he had been stabbed. The coroner having explained the difference between what constituted murder and manslaughter, the jury retired, and after an absence of forty minutes, returned a verdict of wilful murder against Karl Khede. The female prisoner Lynch was discharged. Khede has labored under alternate fits of depression and great excitement since his arrest.

Dunedin, Wednesday.

The half-yearly meeting of the Colonial Bank was held to-day. The report and bal-ance-sheet were adopted. All the shareholders appeared perfectly satisfied.