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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 935, 16 April 1879, Page 2

Mr. Shrimski undoubtedly {,'avc utterance to the opinion entertained by all sensib c poodle when, at the meeting of the Hospital Committee last evening, he said that steps shwdd hs taken to prevent persons stricken with typhoid fever travelling by train from Waimatc to other places. Jle said he was aware that the District Stationmastcr (Mr. faring) had li«en eommuiitcated with on the subject, and he had no doubt that gentleman would Ao all he coidd to prevent a recurrence of the evil in his own district ; but they were aware that iiattcnbt had been, and tnight continue to be. carried by train from Waimatc to Ttmarw, to the danger of persons travelling by the train. This was a matter wliieh also affected them, because people v;h-,±e bttsineaa necessitated their going to Ttauirm might he endangered. It was sugg: ied that Mr. Loring had no doubt commnnieatetl with head-quarters on the matter, and that the rJeneral Manager would probably take action upon it. Mr. Shrimski expressed a hope that some steps would be taken, and so the snbjcct dropped. The quantity of grain dispatched from Xcapara for the mccth ending the sth of April, was 17.W0 sacks, and for the past week, 4370.

The members of the Philharmonic Society will rehearse this evening, at S o'clock. An accident, unattended with fatal results, took place at the Xgapara railway station on Monday night. Wc learn that Thomas Oomcr, a railway porter, w\is engaged in shunting for the 12 o'clock special, when his foot slipped on the sleeper, and his leg came in contact with the step of the engine, the remit of which was the breaking of the email bone. From some unexplained reason, Major Atkinson, the stationmastcr, was not commttnieated with, and the train proceeded | to Oarnani, taking the injnrcd man with it. j Yesterday morning. Major Atkinson was

astounded with the intelligence that the porter had broken both his legs while shunting Another report was that he had broken one only; a third, that he was slightly bruised. To carry on the night grain specials without throwing all the weight of the work on the stationmaster, it had been arranged that the Latter and the porter should take night about for the extra duty, snd it is scarcely reconcilable with common sense that the stationmaster should not have been made aware of the condition of his subordinate, and whether the case was scrioua or not, especially as there is no means of telegraphing to head-quarters. Wc learn further that the man is progressing favorably, and is at present being attended to at the Northern Hotel.

Communication is restored on the Port Darwin line. The total amount received in Oamaru and the Waitaki County in aid of the Kaitangata Relief Fund is L6IO Is. 3d. The complete li.-t will be published to-morrow. The opening match of the 1-V.tball Club for tiie season will be played on Saturday afternoon. A concert, under the auspices of the Good Templars, will be given in the Ngapara Schoolroom on Friday evening. A capital programme has 1)Ct;11 prepared, a "' l will ljC taken part in by several of the best amateurs in Oamaru.

Ratepayers in the Papakaio subdivision of the Waitaki Eoad District should bear in mind that the poll to decide the election of a member of the Road Board in the room of Mr. I'. Aitchison, will be taken to-morrow, between 9 a.m. and <! p.m. The candidates arc Mes.-sr.-5. Hubert Stewart and Hugh Ross, and the poll will be taken at Messrs. MilliiiL'tou's. Nominations in connection with the election of a successor to Mr. Nieolls will be received up till noon to-morrow.

The Ngapara public intend to have a town library. It i* to be a free institution, and we understand that on these conditions the Dimedin Hoard of Ivlucation are prepared to add a Mibsi.ly of £ for £. Wc have no doubt that tiie County Council, with its ttatial liberality, when the library is founded, will willingly add to it by a donation.

A ease of a peculiar nature came before ti:t: Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. It was one in which Martin M 'I lure was charged by Matle-w Brain with iiavitt'.'. on the night of the 2ml instant, poisoned a ]>iu' belonging to the prosecutor by means of Milestone. Mr. O'Meaghcr appeared for the defence. The evidence of | thy plaintil!" was to the eli'ect tliat, "ii the night in ipiestion, lie heard a noise, and on going outside he saw M'J.'liiiv lean over the fence, and drop a piece of Milestone into the pigsty. He shortly afterwards heard the pig " scrunching" something, and in the morning saw its month cov—.-cd with some blue substance. Tin- pig shortly afterwards died. Mr. (V.Meagher questioned the plaintill' as to whether he hail any witne-ses to [.rove that bhteston.- was poisonous, thr.t the pig had. ;«.-ni:dly cat-n blue.-toi.-. r;;:i that, ever. -::pp"-ii...' that b!i:c.-f>ne was p..-'.--.]iM;;s ami tii.it the pig eaten it. siiiheient had been .•at'ii by it to cause death. Die plaintiff replied that tie had no such witnesses, and .Mr. OWbagher asked his Worship to dismiss tile information, as the c.ise fait to the ground in the absence of evidence upon these points. His Worship dismissed the case remarking that the statements of the piainti.T were of so wiid and improbable a character that ttn-i:ppo;tcd they would not be saliicient to warrant a conviction. The assertions that a man co;;ld with the simple aid of :l:c ti-_'ht of the moon distinguish the color of a s-tb.-taiice thrown over a fence some distance .-.way. or that a pig would deli; cratcly make a meal of Milestone bordered upon the extraindtuarv.

Two 1.-ttiips nie very noco.-'Sary at the I X.Mpara railway station, particularly on j j!;..<.i(|.-.-i ainl .-tuiiiy nights. (Miring the I it:-Ii >-" til-; trr.-irn season, when the platform i •- .it tints heaped up with goods, one is

•.',•!■>• likely to stumble over some impediment ..r the other, or. by kv.l leek, " croolt " one's !•> ' in a hole that might be knocked through a weak place in the phi'form. At miv rati: the lamps would faeilitate night work, r.ti'l secure the .safety of passengers.

Tiie monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee was held last evening, when there were present—Messrs. Brown (President, in the chair), Shrimski, Montagu. Headland, Mainland, I'atersoii, M'lntosh. ami JJunn. The minutes of the previous meeting having been lead and confirmed, a letter was read from the Waimate County Council, intimating the willingness of that body to pay all expenses in connection with the fever patients from Waimate. Mr. Shrimski s.'dd iiii.-: was not merely a matter of money. 'What he objected to was that the patients should have been sent here to the danger of Oamaru. Other members expressed similar opinions. The Visiting Committee reported that they had visited the Hospital that day, and had found everything in the usual clean and orderly condition : that the repairs which had been ordered were nearly completed ; that there were now tiirce patients in the fever ward, one having died in the Hospital that morning; and that the total number of patients in the Hospital was nino, two having left the previous day. Accounts to the amount of LSO 6s were passed for payment. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Mainland, seconded by Mr. Dunn, "That Mrs. Shrimski, having contributed the sum of LlO towards the funds of the Hospital, be made a Life Governor. in accordance with rule 7." The customary vote of thanks having been accorded to the Chairman, the meeting terminated.

A meeting of the Council of the North Otago Rifle Association took 2>laee last night at the Eoy.il Hotel. Present: —Messrs. Do Lautotir (President), A. Headland, R. L Rule, A. M'Corkimlale, E. A. Atkinson, T. .Morris, and J. King (.Secretary). The Subcommittee appointed to canvass for prizes having reported as to the result of their work, the following programme was drawn tip ami adopted :—No. 1 Match—lst prize, Vice-President's Cup and LI ; 2nd, Captain M'Corkiiwlale's gift, a field-glass, and L2; 3rd, Mr. Taylor's gift, a box of cigars, and LI ; 4th, Messrs. Roynane and Cottrell's gift, an album, and 15s ; oth, Messrs Ferrier and Rock's gift, photographic views, and 15s; Gtli, Mr Lawson's gift and 10s ; 7th and Sth, 10s each. No. 2 Match—lst prize, bronze figured lamps, presented by Messrs. Matheson Brothers, Dunedin, and LI ; 2nd, Mr. Sellars gift, value L 3 ss, and L2; 3rd, Mr. Rule';; gift and LI 10s : 4th, Mr. Lumsden's gift and LI; Sth, Mr. Galbraith's gift and LI; Gtli, Mr. Cagney's gift and LI; 7th and Sth, 15s each; oth and 10th, 10s each. Aggregate prizes—lst. Ladies' Challenge Belt, value Lls 15s, and Ls—the belt to be held till the next annual competition ; 2nd, the Mayors gift and L2 ; 3rd, Mr. Kennedy's gift and LI 10s ; 4th, Messrs. Hodge and Jones' gift and LI ; sth, Messrs. Hood and Shennan's gift and LI ; 6th, Mr. R. C. Lindsay's gift and LI; 7th and Sth, 15s each ; 9th and 10th, 10s each. Consolation Match, Handi-

cap, points allowed—lst, North Otago Times newspaper for twelve months and L2 ; 2nd, Evening Mail newspaper for twelve months and LI; 3rd, Mr. Mollison's gift and 10s; 4th, Mr. Sumpter's gift and 10s. It was decided to commence the first match at 7 a.m., finish at 9 .a.m. ; second match, commence at 10 a.m., finish at 3 p.m. ; third match, commence at 3.30 p.m. finish at 4.30 p.m. A vote of thanks having been passed to the Chairman, the meeting terminated.

The Lyttelton Times says :—lt will be remembered that a witness for the prosecution in a recent case at the Supreme Court was severely reprimanded by his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston for having offered to make a bet on the result of the trial. The witness had no opportunity of explaining the circumstances under which he had made the offer, and the probability is that had he been able to do so his Honor's censure would not have been so severe. It appears that after the witness had given his evidence, and when, therefore, the fact of his being interested in a bet upon the result could not bias his testimony, he was chaffingly told by a bystander that the accused would not be convicted. On the spur of the moment he expressed his opinion on the matter in the not unusual form of " I'll bet you five to one he will." Tin's being heard by a friend of the accused. was at once reported to the learned counsel for the defence, who had him placed in the box, where he at once admitted that ho had offered to bet, but did not state either the time or the place where he had done so.

To-day's " Daily Times" contains the following :—Some of the junior members of the Volunteer companies from the Northern towns conducted themselves last evening in such a manner that the law-abiding citizens will be anxious to "speed the parting guests." One of their achievements, over which they cheered vociferously will form the subject of a prosecution in the Police Court. It was not a very gallant or creditable affair, A large number of them, headed by a lad of color, made an attack upon a house where, it was said, their leader had been previously ill-treated, and demanded the restoration of a sum of money. Acting upon the advice of a police officer, the money demanded was paid under protest, and the lads, who had gone so far as to take down one of the shutters of the. house, retired. The part of their conduct which affects the public is that a crowd of roughs should rush wildly about the streets, some of them wearing bayonets. As showing the disposition they displayed, we may mention that a gentleman last evening remonstrated with one of the lads for having his bayonet drawn, ,-ind the reply ho got was anything but a grateful one for what he intended as a friendly warning. If such scenes are repeated, strong measures will have to be taken to maintain order, and larrikins in uniform dealt with in a summary and not very military fashion by being jdaced in the dock, and punished. We are informed that the ringleaders last night belonged to a Tiinaru corps. It is a great pity that a few roughs, by misconduct, should bring discredit on so reputable a body of men as Volunteers a-c throughout the Colony, and it is to the ] interest or Volunteering that such conduct .should not pass without comment, censure, I or punishment.