NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2218, 27 April 1880, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Oar usual Saturday’s supplements having come to hand, the first instalment is issued with this evening’s publication,and in order to make up for lost time another issue will follow on Saturday. We hope to be able to keep up the supply regularly for the future.

Mr White made his first appearance at the II.M. Court this morning since his recovery from his late serious illness. His Worship, the R.M., remarked that he was pleased to see Mr White occupying his old place in the Court once more. Telephones are used in the London hospitals to diminish the risk of infection by obviating personal communication with the fever wards in sending messages. In the facetious “ Lycll Argus ” the fol-

lowing unique correspondence appears : “Mr T. Metcalfe, editor ‘Lycll Times,’ Lyell, Sir, —I have been requested by Mr E. W. M'Coy, of Lycll, to apply to you for the name and address of the writer of a letter which appeared in the ‘ Lycll Times’ of Jan. ;il last, and signed ‘ A Lover of Truth and Pair I’lay.’ It is Mr M-Coy’s intention to criminally prosecute the writer of that letter for libel, and in the event of your declining to do so, then it will be my duty, as Mr M'Coy’s solicitor, to lay an information against you as the editor and publisher of the newspaper in which the libel was inserted.—l am, sir, yours truly, Jonx K. Cowax.” My answer to this letter is:—“ Mr Cowan, —As a barrister you arc entitled to that courtesy due from one gentleman to another, therefore accept my thanks for your kind intentions. I have been told that lawyers arc not allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I am glad of it; for after you have hanged me, you and ‘ your client,’ will no doubt depart in peace and happiness to ‘ the warmer and more congenial regions below,’ whore I trust you may long remain.—l am, yours truly, T. J. Metcalf. Lyell, April 1,1880.” Under the heading of “ Extraordinary proceedings,” the Wanganui “ Chronicle ” narrates that a posse of police, headed by Sub-Inspector Goodall, recently visited the farm of a Mr Allsworth, “ an olliccr high up in the Good Templars,” during his absence, and made an exhaustive examination of the place for a sti'l. No trace of illicit distillation was found on the premises, and it appears that a “sell’’was perpetrated on the police. It is alleged that their informant claimed to have got his information from a man who had worked either on or about Allsworth’s place, and that ho extracted a pledge of secrecy, which was given, and that when asked his motive, he replied that he was “hard up,” and wanted money. The “ Herald ” insists that the police ought to be obliged to give up the name of their informant, which they at present decline to do. A ghastly story comes from Abingdon. It was discovered one Sunday recently that a quantity of uncooked meat had been stolen from a cupboard in the farmhouse of Chilton. A search was made of the premises, when James lilissett, a laborer on the farm was found lying on his back in the yard quite dead, holding a clasp knife in his hand- A piece of raw beef, resembling that which had been stolen, lay on his chest, and the appearance of the body left no doubt whatever that the unfortunate man had been choked while eating the meat he had taken.

In the present hard times (says the Wellington “ Post ”) it is gratifying to find the yield of the Auckland and Otago goldfields showing so marked an increase during the past quarter as compared with the March quarter of 1870. The respective values of the gold exported from Auckland was £-17,403 for the March quarter of 1880, as against £38,108 for that period of 1879. The Otago gold exports displayed still greater improvement, being £131,100, as against £85,593, On the other hand there has been a large falling oil' on the West Coast, and a smaller decrease on the Nelson and Marlborough goldfields. The net increase for the whole colony was £‘20,715. The tofal value of the gold exported from New Zealand up to present date is £30,171,588.

Robert Henry Rogers, telegraphist and postmaster at Leitchlield, Canterbury, has been arrested on a charge of forging two cheques, one for £3 on T. James, and one for £5 10s on John Smellie.

The civil business at the R. M. Court is now very frequently delayed by the carelessness and the unpunctual attendance of the witnesses and the parties interested. Sometimes plaintiff or defendant will be present in court but a very few minutes before the case is called on, but on being called, it will be discovered that they have mysteriously disappeared not to turn up again, perhaps till the next case is half finished. Several cases were struck out this morning, in consequence of this troublesome conduct on the part of those interested which causes much inconvenience to the court and those attending it. Surely when people have business at the court they might take a little trouble to be in attendance at the proper time. His Worship remarked that he would make it a rule to strike out cases if the parties did not appear when called.

Says the “ N.O. Times” :—A firm in Oamaru proved in an insolvent estate some time ago, and after waiting patiently at last received the long-expected dividend, which dividend amounted to the handsome sum of Is. A one shilling duty stamp had to be affixed tc the proof of debt, and as the trustees were located in a town outside Oamaru a two-penny stamp was required to carry the necessary form to its destination. And in return for all this trouble the grim joke was perpetrated of remitting a “ cheque” for the amount. To be able to turn this into coin of the realm another shilling was required, and two pence more to carry the receipt. The receivers of this munificent dividend are now inquiring whether it is possible that an incipient Aitemus Ward exists in New Zealand. Tenders for additions and alterations to the Timnru Hospital were opened to-day and that of Mr McGill (£21)01) was accepted. Mr Blackmore was appointed clerk of works.

The Dunedin “ Star ” says that a man who had stated that he had seen a strange person about one o’clock on the morning of Sunday, March 11, in Cumberland street directly opposite the house of the Dewars, was taken to the gaol and identified Butler as the person he saw on that occasion. Why he kept himself in the background all the time he keeps to himself. The Otago Daily “ Times ”of to-day says : We understand that the knife which was found outside Dewar’s house, and which, according to the theory of the prosecution, was used for the purpose of opening the sittingroom window, has been iudentitied as the property of Mr Baxter of the Tier Hotel. It was missed from the hotel on the Monday following the murder, and is believed to have been in use on the previous Saturday. The facts in connection with it point to its having been stolen, but so far as we have been able to ascertain there is nothing to show by whom. A fresh circumstance regarding the whereabouts of Butler between the Saturday night and the Sunday morning has also come to light within the past day or two. A young lad going home on the Sunday morning about half-past 1 o'clock saw a man standing opposite Dewar's house ; and this lad has, we understand, identified Butler as being the man he saw.

Avery Had suicide took place at Honrorata on Sunday morning. The wife of Mr John Manson, a most respected farmer of the district, was found hanging in the stable at about one o'clock. She had evidently been dead for some time. The deceased had been in a desponding state for a little previous. A Congregational meeting will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, this evening, at 7.110.