ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5401, 19 July 1878, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

Mr. James Foley, formerly a member of the Auckland Provincial Council, has been killed 'by the Onehunga railway. It is supposed he was knocked down at the crossing place at Onehunga. The body was much mutilated. After due Inquiry into the wreck of the Ann Gambles and all circumstances connected therewith, the Government have come to the conclusion that the suspension by the Court of the captainla certificate was not justified by the evidence adduced at the inquiry. It is proposed that the board shall order that the captain’s certificate be handed back to him, The police, returns of offences * for the Hawke’s Bay District for the years 1876 and 1877 show a considerable increase of crime in the latter year, mostly in drunkenness, larceny, and offences against the person. The total number’of offences in 1876 was 588, and in 1877: it was 777, but only 776 were apprehended/ Of that number ,681 were summarily convicted, 35 committed for trial, and 60 discharged. For drunkenness 431 persons were apprehended aud 429 convicted ; for vagrancy 87 were charged t and 79 convicted. The number: of offences against the person, including assaults of all kinds, was 108. Amongst these were three . charges of rape, one of murder, ;?fcd seven of indecent assault. For offences against property, including larceny, embezzlement, &c.g,there were 23; persons charcred with lunacy, 17 ; breach of Merchant Seamens Act, 2; attempt at suicide, 1; escape from legal custody, 1; beasbiality, 1; bigamy, 2. A young man named Mark Smith, a farmer at Saltwater Creek, near Timaru, was killed through the kick of a horse on June 25 whilst ploughing. : , Ephraim Harris, an old and respected miner, died suddenly while at work in his claim, TuapekaCreek,on the afternoon of June 25. He cooeyed to his wife, living close by, but expired before she could render any assistance. Mr. J. B. - Hunter, formerly Government Surveyor for Canterbury, was brought back from Melbourne on June 24 on a charge of appropriating Government funds. On being followed to Melbourne it was found, he had been arrested there for obtaining money on false pretences. While uncoupling some empty trucks on June'2sth at the Elderslio siding on the Waireka railway, James Baird, the guard of the train, had his right leg frightfully mangled. He was taken to the hospital at Oamaru. Amputation was found necessary a few inches below the hip joint, and it is doubtful if he will recover the shock. Ho was fifty years of age, is married, and has a large family. ' A most singular case of drowning occurred on board the steamer Rangatira, which arrived here from Napier on Juno 22nd. A woman named McKenna took her passage by the steamer with her three children, 6ne an infant, who was put into a berth with its sister. At the foot of the bed there was a bucket-of water. After two of the children had been in bed for a few hours, the steward was called by one of them, a little boy, who said, “Come and see baby; it’s in,the bucket.” The infant was at. once taken out of the water, but life was extinct. The body of the child was taken to the Morgue, where an inquest was held, and a verdict of “ Accidental death” was returned.

The lad William Duffy, convicted of stealing a cheque from the Parliament Buildings,' was dischai*ged on June 28th, his Honor thinking it was nob a case for the Reformatory, as the boy had hitherto borne a good character, and not caring to send him to gaol lest he should suffer from associating with older offenders. Frank Gomez, supposed to have beeu lost in the cutter Mary, got back to Auckland ou 3rd July. After the cutter capsised lie got into the dingy and had to pull for 20 hours before reaching land. ‘ • On Monday, July 1, Napier was put into a state of alarm'by an occurrence which was not without its ridiculous ‘ side. An infuriated bullock, which was being driven from Clive to the slaughter-house, chased its drover into Napier. He came furiously galloping into town with the maddened animal at Ids heels. Entering the outskirts the town, the drover observed two children on the footpath, and very though the bullock was close upon him, he dismounted and. placed .the children in safety within a fence, then remounted,, barely escaping attack from the animal. On the beach two shots were fired ’at it ineffectu-' ally. It then made its way into Hastingssfreet, making a crowd of people fly in all directions. It was then killed by a well aimed shot from a rifle.

• A seaman named William Phillip, belonging to the barque Firth ot Forth, met with rather a severe accident on Monday, July Bth. He was helping to discharge the cargo, when tho giublock came adrift, aud the iron hook fell with considerable force upon his head, inflicting a rather severe scalp wound. The sufferer was promptly attended to by Dr. Diver, under whose care the patient is progressing favorably. Further particulars fiom the crew of the barque Kedar show that they were forty-eight days on the waterlogged wreck before they sighted the island, and during that time their sufferings were very great from want of water. The crew could scarcely crawl about. They subsisted on food fished up from the hold and water -from a condenser made out of an oil-can Jamieson, second mate, and Macgowan, a seaman, landed on the island very ill, and were afterwards missing and have not been found. The barque was 530 tons. Tho captain believes she was insured in a Melbourne office’ for £3OOO. -

Telegrams received on July lltkbring intelligence ot .a serious revolt and massacre of European settlers by natives of New Caledonia. H.M.S. Sapphire has left Auckland for Nou--mea, it is presumed to assist the authorities, if necessary, in restoring law and order. William O’Connor, when brought up at the Supreme Court for sentence on Monday, July Bth, on the charge of attempted poisoning of William Light, hotel-keeper, made a very long statement in his defence. He contradicted Mr. Light's evidence in many particulars, and solemnly denied that he had poison in his possession. The Chief Justice passed a sentence of ten years’ penal servitude. During the address of:the prisoner the court was densely crowded, and throughout the day the trial was generally discussed. It is likely that some efforts will be made to have all the surroundings of the case fully investigated. The Lake Waipori correspondent ot the Otago Daily Times ' writes :—A fearful death has occurred here. Mrs. A. Twaddle, of this district, went out fora short time to feed some cattle, aud when she returned to the house found her child, a little boy about three years old, lying on the floor speechless, with the clothes litterally burned off his back. Medical aid was sent for immediately to Outram, but human skill was ot no avail. .

Mrs. Message, the wife of a settler residing in Thorndon, was found dead in her bed by her husband on Saturday morning last. She had been suffering for some time from heart disease, and had been under medical treatment. Therefore it is not considered necessary, \ve believe, to hold an inquest. Information was received in town on Saturday that an accident, by which two horses were killed and another was so badly injured that it had to be shot, had occurred that morning at the Upper Hutt. It appears that the three horses were being driven to the railway-station, when they bolted on to the line and got in front of a ballast engine which was in motion at the time. The engine-driver did all he could to prevent an accident, but could not bring the engine to a standstill soon enough to avoid running into the horses. A young man (says the Ranrjitlkcl Advocate of the 15th inst.), whoso name we did not learn, working in the bush near Peilding, mot with rather n severe accident on Thursday afternoon. An axe which he was using slipped and badly cut his instep. Surgical assistance was procured, aud he was taken to the Redding Hotel, where he is doing as well as could, be‘expected. Ho was working with a mate called Toylor, who came from Tawft Elat, near Wellington. ;