TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1025, 2 August 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

PORT CHALMERS. August 2. Last night a girl named Isabella Aitchison, aged seventeen years, servant to Francis Smith, of Blanket Bay, while returning home, was set upon by three lads named William Cook, John Main, and Henry Austin, who dragged her into the bush, and, she alleges, violated her. Cook and Austin have been arrested, and admit having had connection with the girl, but state that she was willing. Main has not yet been caught. ASBBCRTON. August 1. At the R.M. Court to-day, a woman named Walsh, charged wivh drunkenness and using abusive and obscene language, was fined Ll3 in all. The nifiey was paid. The man Gordon, who disappeared a fortnight ago, has not turned up. Considering the vigilance of the police and the publicity given to the affair by the press, it is utterly inexplicable. CHRIS'L'CfidRCH. August 1. The steam tug Lytielton -nas sent up to Wellington on Thursday afternoon to be slipped, and arrived there this afternoon afcer a passage of 20 hours. The Harbor Eoard are going to apply to Government for a sufficient length of the old Cook's Straitcabletolay[across the harbor to the pilot station. A mile and a

quarter is necessary. It oontains three separate wires, and will afford both telephonic and telegraphic communication. Mrs. Lowe, wife of a farmer residing at Weedon, missing since Wednesday morning, was found dead at 11 o'clock last night in a 90-feet well near her house. An accident happened yesterday to a young man named John Smithers, employed on the Rakaia and Ashburton Forks railway. He was riding on a truck which was being pushed in front of the engine, and in stooping to - pull up a chain which was hanging down, overbalanced himself and fell on the line. He was struck by the engine-guard, and on the train being brought to a standstill it was found that several of his ribs were broken. AUCKLAND. August 1. Mr. Brewer, of the Customs, and 'Detective Brennan made a midnight raid on the coal hulk Marmoa, in search of contraband goods, but were unsuccessful. The Auckland City West No. 2 public school has been opened. It cost about L3OOO, and accommodates 500 scholars. James .Edward Sumper was seriously injured while discharging railway iron from the ship Minister of Marine. He was sent to the Hospital. A portion of the crew of the Minister of Marine complained to the Magistrate about the treatment they received from the officers. He recommended them to «et legal advice. Two of the seamen "iave been sent to the Hospital with scurvy, At a meeting of influential settlers, held to-day, Mr. Pleader Wood in the chair, it was resolved to form s■ society, called the North New Zealand Association, which, irrespective of party, should watch over all legislation, especially that affecting the interests of Auckland. The committee elected were Messrs. Graves, Aicken, and E. T. Dufaur (secretary). August 2. The police are actively engaged in collecting evidence in the case of the alleged ill-treatment to the crew of the Minister of Marine. A lumper named Charles Whitlar has been detected plundering the cargo of the ship Langstone, and sentenced to one month's imprisonment. The Auckland Agricultural Society will hold a stallion parade early in September. The Herald contradicts, upon authority, the rumor telegraphed by its Wellington correspondent that the Bauk of New Zealand would ' not advance more than L 150,000 o.n Government securities, and complains of the circulation in Welling- ' ton of false and malicious reports by interested people. TIMAIIU. August 1. The Customs revenue for last month was L2OBI. The Burke's Pass correspondent of the Timaru Herald writes yesterday morning as follows with reference to the two missing men " Since I last wrote large parties have been out on the Rollesby Range in search of the poor fellows lost, but hitherto no trace of them has been found. Most of the search party are experienced shepherds who know every nook and corner of the range, and they have so thoroughly explored the range that it is impossible that the missing men can be above the snow. Many conjectures are made as to the way the poor fellows were lost. Some think it most probable that the snow at the edge of a bank or precipice, or the thin hard crust over a o-ully gave way with them, when they would sink into" the light powdery drift snow and be Or,hers think it more likely th't :: bauk of snow fell upon and smothered them, while passing beneath it. The latter is the more reasonable exnliiiiaiii ri, as in the first case it is pn le that all the dogs would have escaped, whereas an avalanche, though but a small one, might easily overtake the dogs as well as the i men. The search will not be slackened, although there is now no hope of finding them alive. It is hoped that the dogs will be able to scent them. The work of searching is very difficult and dangerous. The air on the ranges is piercingly cold, and the surface of the snow is frozen into a hard and slippery sheet. On the steep sides of the spurs travellers have to be very cautious, moving for long distances on the hands and knees, and there have already been several very uarrow escapes from loss of life or injury to limb from men losing their foothold. Yesterday two men lost their footing and were precipitated a considerable distance down the frozen slope before they could recover themselves." INVERCARGILL. August 1. The names of Messrs. Feldwick (the present member), J. R. Cuthbertson, and J. W. Bain are mentioned as probable candidates for Invercargill in the general election ; Captain Hankinson and Mr. P. K. M'Caughan for Riverton ; and Mr. H. J. Finn, the well-known lawyer, for the Lakes.