Accidents, Offences, &c.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 225, 2 September 1884, Page 2

Accidents, Offences, &c.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN A CHURCH. ILLEGAL GAMES. GIRL SCALDED TO DEATH. TRIAL OF VINCENT PYKE. ESCAPE OF THE PRISONER. SENTENCED TO BE HANGED. THE RECENT SHOOTING CASE. (Per Press Association.) Timaru, September 2. Bridget Healy, aged 35, domestic servant, entered the Catholic Church at six last evening, and swallowed a large quantity of ammonia. The church was empty, but her cries attracted attention. She was taken to the hospital and the poison was removed by a stomach pump. The woman now lies in a critical state. She is supposed to be insane. Later.—The woman Healey, who poisoned herself last night, has since died. Auckland, September 2.

A fire broke out at Hewin’s grocery store in Queen Street on Friday morning, and £5OO damage was done before it was suppressed. The insurances are £550 on stock and £l5O on fittings, in the Union office. There is no damage done to the building. John Brown was fined £5, or 14 days, for running a game called “ sweat ’em ” on the Epsom racecourse. His gambling stock-in-trade was also confiscated.

Mr. Peel, spirit merchant, was nonsuited with costs in his libel action against Malcolm Niccol for £3OO damages, owing to the latter having written a letter to the Devonport Licensing Bench respecting plaintiff. Christchurch, September 2.

A sad accident occurred at Linwood this morning, by which a little girl four years old, daughter of Robert J. Harrison, was scalded to death by falling into a bucket of water. An elderly man, supposed to be named Thompson, fell in a fit to-day. He was taken to the hospital, and died almost immediately after.

A strong Norwester is blowing here. There was a gale in the Malvern district, and considerable damage was done. Several hay stacks were blown down and scattered.

At 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon a fifteenroomed house and a four-roomed cottage in Antigua Street, belonging to John Lamb, were destroyed by fire, which broke out in the large house. Lamb is away in Sydney, and his family were out at the time. The cause is unknown. The building was insured for £3OO in the Northern Company, and for £2OO in the United. Lamb’s furniture was insured for £250 in the Australian Mercantile Union Company. Alloway, who occupied the smaller house, was uninsured. The value of the buildings destroyed is estimated at about £7OO.

Dunedin, September 2. Mrs. James Garden, wife of a storekeeper at Clinton, Clutha County, died during an apopletic fit which seized her while she was attending a meeting of the Salvation Army in the local hall.

The trial of Vincent Pyke Esq., by effigy, at Tapanui, was not so successful as anticipated. When the Court assembled it was discovered that the prisoner had escaped; that is, some wag had stolen the effigy, and he could not be found. However, a new image was set up, which was sentenced to be hanged, and then burned. Mr. Pyke telegraphed that it was impossible persons at

such distances could understand the situation, as newspaper reports were unreliable, and that letters explaining his action were on the way. Dr. Coughtry, who gave medical evidence at Burns’ inquest, and advanced an opinion that the man did not shoot himself as was alleged, has, it is understood, brought the matter under the notice of the Department of Justice.