AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2430, 31 December 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE ALBURY TRAGEDY. The woman Mary Pumpa, one of the victims of the late tragedy at Leslie’s Gap, Jindera-road, died on Dec. 14 at Albury* Hospital, with one bullet in her head and another in the region of her lungs. She has lingered since last Monday week in great agony. The immediate cause of death was inflammation of the lungs, and Inemorrhage from those organs. A writ of habeas corpus has been applied for to enable a second charge of murder to be brought against the man Henry* Wilkinson, who now lies in Albury gaol, awaiting his trial on the 11th April, for the murder of Martin Mentz, the father of the woman who died this morning. EXT KAO R DIX ARY 0 t’TRAG E. On Saturday afternoon, December 11, a most extraordinary outrage was com mitted by a seaman named John Bryan, at the Conference Hotel, at the corner of Queen and Flinders street. Between 2 and 3 o’clock the man, accompanied by a friend, entered the bar and called for drinks, with which he was supplied. When his change was handed to him he questioned its accuracy, and without the slightest provocation he then seized a stone match-holder, weighing 171 b, and attempted to hurl it at the head of the landlord, Mr James G. Morton. Fortunately, the stone fell out of his hands, or Mr Morton would have been severely injured. The man then jumped over the bar, and caught hold of two quart pewters, several decanters containing brandy and sherry, and bottles of other spirits, which he threw about indiscriminately, smashing a mirror valued at £2O, a clock worth £5, two picture frames, damaging the bar engine and destroying property valued in the aggregate at from £35 to £4O. Constable Connelly was fortunately in the vicinity, and he rushed in and arrested the man, who thereupon declared he was master of a ship, and if his men had been there he would have killed everybody near him. He was with great dilliculty removed to the watchhouse. THE LEGALITY OF SWEEPS. An action was tried in the County Court on Monday, before Judge Cope, which is of interest to persons taking part in “ sweeps ” on events at the races. Mr W. Jones, a broker at Ballarat, sued Mr Thomas Asche, a publican in Melbourne, to recover £BS the first prize in a sweep on the Melbourne Cup. A “ sweep ”of £5 from each shareholder was got up on the racecourse for the Cup, the amount to be given to the first horse was £BS. Mr Asche was the stakeholder. The “ sweep ” was drawn, and Mr Jones drew Grand Flaneur, who won the race. Mr Jones applied for the £BS, the amount of the first prize, but Mr Asche proposed to deduct a sum of £24, which he said that Mr Jones had previously owed him. Mr Jones denied that he owed the defendant any money, and he declined to receive the amount tendered. The action was then brought. The defendant nleaded illegality. The only witness examined was the plaintiff who gave evidence to the effect stated. His Honor said that he was of opinion that the action could not be sustained for any part of the plaintiff’s claim. The Act imposed a penalty on any person who took part in a lottery, and ho thought that this sweep came within the term, and therefore that the plaintiff could not be heard in Court at all. He therefore nonsuited the plaintiff. Mr Walsh asked that no costs be given, as the defendant ought at least to have paid into Court the £52 he admitted the plaintiff was entitled to, and the merits were all on the plaintiff’s side. His Honor said he could not sympathise with “ sweeps ; ” he was bound by the Act of Parliament. He awarded the defendant his costs. Mr Walsh asked if he would direct a prosecution under the statute, but his Honor declined to do so. Execution for costs was stayed for a week in order to give the plaintiff time to appeal.

RACING- STUD FOE, NEW ZEALAND. Major George, who 1 1 us been in Victoria on a visit from New Zealand, left for Maori land on Dec. 14, and took with him some remarkably well-bred mares that he purchased through Mr Ynille from the Glenormiston stud. One of them, Pearl ash, has a pedigree that cannot be excelled, for she is by Lord Clifden from Potash, by Voltiguer, and on the dam’s side runs back to Seakale by Camel. Previous to leaving she visited Mr A. K. Finlay’s favorite sire Bolton Green, a son of Bethnal Green and Beeswing. Realisation another of Major Georges purchases, was also imported, and she is by A espasian from Hopeful Duchess, by The Flying Dutchman ; she has a bay colt by King Cole, and this season visited The Marquis ; and the Yattendon marc, My Idea, was accompanied by a King Cole colt. The mares were comfortably housed on board the Hero, which vessel also took Fortunata, by Ebor from Deuce Ace, this brood mare and her foal

having been purchased for Mr Allan M‘Lean, of New Zealand. MISCELLANEOUS. Robert Cowcn, shareholder in the Maniac Lead, Temora, committed suicide by opening an artery in his wrist with a penknife while suffering from drink. The woman murdered near Bathurst is identified as a widow named Brown, from Whiterock. She was last seen ali\m at Ainsworth publichouse. A verdict of wilful murder has been returned against some persons unknown. The blacks have attacked Longergan’s store at Jundah, in Northern Queensland, and hacked his wife and servant girl to pieces. They left an infant unharmed. Extreme competition between the Newcastle mines is expected to commence with the now year, and the price of coal is expected to fall to 7s per ton. The action brought by Mr F. W. Davis the theatrical critic of the “Advcrtiser ” (Adelaide), with damages £SOO, against Mr W. J. Holloway, the actor for assaulting him in the theatre cafe in September last, was heard in the Supreme Court to-day before the Chief Justice and a special jury. Defendant paid £2O into court to satisfy the plaintiff's claim, and a verdict was given for £BS. During the voyage of the ship Levant, the hull of a vessel was seen on Sept. . The Levant bore down on the wreck so closely that the decks were seen, and the name, Laboramus, of Dundalk, was read on the stern. The vessel was evidently partially destroyed by fire. The masts were gone, and there was no sign of life. The Laboramus is a barque of 456 tons. The Adelaide Chamber of Commerce has entered a protest against the action of the City Council in accepting the Fulton Company’s tender for the cit\ r squares. The Chamber considers the work unnecessarily sent out of the colony. A public meeting is to be called in reference to the sujbect. The Queensland banks have reduced the rate of interest to a maximum of 4 per cent, and have lowered the discount rates to 6 and 8 percent. Sir Samuel Wilson, the Victorian squatter, bought a certain station five years ago, for less than £IOO,OOO and recently sold it for £400,000, which is to be paid in ten yearly instalments of £47,000.

A great Queensland squatter returned after a visit to England. His friends asked him what he thought of it. Reply—“ It’s a nice little country’, but it’s all taken up.” The Australian Apollo Candle. Company manufactured 30,000,000 candles during last year.

The South Australian Civil Servants have got their working hours extended from 4 to 5 p.rn. At Government House, Sydney, poultry are being hatched artificially* by Lord Augustus Loftus.