LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1365, 6 October 1883, Page 2

LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

(IROM our own correspondent). WELLINGTON. The King of Hawaii having written to the Government intimating his wish to visit New Zealand next year, and asking if he would be receivec officially, Ministers have replied that they will be glad if His Majesty visits this Co'ony, and will accord him an official reception. He is not likely to leave Honolulu till after in April AUCKLAND. A man named Thomas Millar, who arrived by the British King, died suddenly lust night. He had been drinking. An inquest was held on Friday on the body of a patient in the Lunatic Asylum named J. j. Mills who was killed by G. Schnell, another patient. It appears that Schnell suffers from homicidal mania. He was left without surveillance while the warder got his breakfast. The warder thought Schnell was with the other patients, but it seems he got into the room with Mills, and suddenly pounced upon the latter, smashing in his skull with a box broom, or “ deck scrubber.” He then went out and informed the warder of what he had done, saying those were his directions. Some time ago, Schnell, killed his fellow-laborer on the road-side in Taranaki, and had been sent up to the Auckland Asylum. Mills was an old Auckland resident, formerly a furniture dealer in Victoria street. He leaves a wife and family Jof three. The following particulars regarding the Lunatic Asylum tragedy have transpired. The occurrence happened not in the cell, but in the day room, in the east end of the building, which, although it contained beds, is used as a breakfast and dining-room for dangerous patients. Furty-two men usually dine in this room, who cannot be trusted with knife, fork, or spoon. They are supplied with what is called spoon diet—that is to say, their potatoes are mashed and their meat chopped up. Owing to the special instructions regarding Schnell, he was the last admitted into the breakfast room, when all the others were seated. There were four attendants present at breakfast, and Hardy, head-warder, made a personal inspection ut 8 o’clock, and found all right. Sshnell was not even sitting at the same table as Mills. There was a table between them, and, so far as could bo gathered, no communication passed between them, and they sat at extreme corners. The duty of the attendant McCarthy, who had charge of the ward, was to see the ward cleared out, patients sent into the dining room, and the place locked up. Before he went to breakfast, he says he cleared Mills and Schnell out, with the other patients, and locked the place, but the difficulty is to reconcile this with the facts that occurred, and McCarthy has been suspended pending the result of the inquest. The tragedy occurred in the day-room, which was supposed to be Kicked, and yet Mills and Schnell must have been there. The assault was committed at the extreme end of the ward, in a passage six feet wide, ou one side of which was the att<nlants’ room, and on the other the airing-court. Schnell apparently picked up a heavy deck-scrubber broom, used for scrubbing the oil-cloth in the passages, and following up his victim, struck him violently on the back of the head, fracturing his skull and smashing tho brush off the handle. A patient named, Edwin Jolly, avers that he saw the assault. He states distinctly that he saw Schnell break the scrubber over Mills’ head, and then belabour him with the handle. Schnell, when asked why he attacked Mills, said it was to prevent swearing. He is quite coherent, except when the conversation turns on his homicial tendencies.

3 p.m*—The inquest on the victim of th Lunatic Asylum tragedy is proceeding. CHRISTCHURCH. Advices are to hand to the effect that th. Catalonia has left St Vincent. Her ref rigor ating machinery is working well, and the mea is in good order The Working Men’s Club Report sliowi I the years receipts to be L 2.225 and expensei L2,0Q7 ; assets L 1,776 and liabilities L 3,385 The Club now numbers over 400 members 1 Hugh Minnis, carpenter of the steamei J Dodo, was drowned in Lyttelton harbor 5 yesterday afternoon. He was one of a crew of the steamer cruising round the harbor ir r one of the ship’s boats. From some cause the I boat turned over near the reef, and Minnis ( was drowned. The boat was under sail at the time. The seven men who clung to the 1 boat were soon rescued. The body is not yet recovered. 1 DUNEDIN. ' Mr I. N. Watt, R.M., in dismissing a case against a lad charged with a breach of the peace said the Salva' ion army invited assault by their proceedings and open air meetings, invited assault. It is stated that the Governor, Lady Jervois, and family are likely to spend some of the summer mouths in Dunedin. At the Supreme Court, in the case of Janies Durston, charged with creating a nuisance at Kaikora, by conducting a soapboiling works, a verdict of not guilty was returned. WANGANUI. 0 i g ables Meehan and Stanton have returned from Murimotu, with Te Aropetera, the ringleader in the interference with Thorpe’s survey party. Te Aropetra offered no resistance. He was arrested without without diffiulty, under warrant, on a charge , of larceny of theodolities. TIMARU. The Education Board appointed Major Bamfield secretary out of 24 applications. 0 AMARU. The Spring race meeting opened yesterday. It was glorious weather and the attendance about 3000. The following are the results : Maiden Elite —Molly Bown, I; Barnaby, 2 ; Statesman, 3. Spring Handicap. —Violin, 1 ; Adamant, 2 ; Taiaroa. 3. Adaman led to the mile post, where Violin took the lead, which he maintained to f lic finish, winning by two lengths, Taiaroa was a bad third. Counties Plate. —Magician, 1 ■ Hinireke, 2 ; Karawari, 3. Trot. —Bella, 1 ; Disappointment, 2 ; Times, 3. Grand Stand Handicap. —Prospero, 1; Taiaroa, 2 ; Roscnath, 3. Welter Scurry. —Barnaby. I.