AGRARIAN MURDER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2439, 12 January 1881, Page 3

AGRARIAN MURDER.

Another Agrarian murder, but one rather traceable to private revenge than to the existence of widespread conspiracy among any particular tenantry or as the outcome of any popular dislike to the unfortunate victim, has occurred on the borders of the counties of Limerick and Tipcrary. The deceased, Mr Wheeler, was only acting for Ids father, who was the agent for a number of small estates in county Dublin. He was a man of thirty years of age, of handsome appearance, over the middle height, and rather popular. It appears be was out collecting rents, and when crossing the fields towards the Oola Bailway Station, accompanied by a herdsman named Michael Moore, the two were suddenly confronted by a man dressed in black, with a blackened face, who sprang up from behind the hedge, and, raising a double-barrelled gun, fired. The slugs struck Mr Wheeler full in the mouth, knocking out three teeth in the urp.jr jaw and two in the lower. Ho gavo a groan and fell. Moore rushed and then, looking over his shoulder saw Wheeler rise again and attempt to run, but he was followed by the assassin and shot down. Moore says he heard two more shots, but consulted his safety by running full speed a distance of two miles to the Oola Barracks. The police turned out and arriving on the spot, found Wheeler lying on his face, the body still warm, the head in a pool of blood, and the hands clutching the earth. The house of John Moore, where strange to say, the inhabitants declare they heard no shots, stands near, and here the body was carried. There was an objection to let the corpse in, but Mr Lloyd, the landlord, insisted on it, and the body was taken into a dairy house, where it now lies covered with a rug and guarded by a party of police. No less than eleven wounds are perceptible on the poor fellow’s skull. The police have made no arrest, but it is an open secret that they do not intend to let the four brothers Moore out of sight.

The attendance returns for the South Canterbury Education district for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 1880, have been published. They shew a satisfactory increase in the numbers on the school rolls, and also in the average attendance. At the end of the quarter there were 3500 children on the roll. The average weekly number was 3385 and the total working average 2616.

A Presbyterian congregation, not a hundred railis from North Dunedin, is just now in a state of distraction over no less a source of trouble than n strike in the choir. The young lady members it appears, from a local paper, were accused of an unseemly levity during service, under cover of the screen surrounding their enclosure, and someone in authority, to give them a hint, probably, that their doings had been noticed, took the screen down. This was highly disapproved of, for the choir members took umbrage, .and discord now reigns where once all was harmony.

Among the exhibits in the New Zealand court at the Melbourne Exhibition were specimens (sent by an Auckland Company) of South Australian jarrah and New Zealand totara. The object of this was to show the greater resistance of the latter to the ravages of marine worms. The specimens of both timbers were taken from' the Mungare bridge. It may be mentioned that about six years after the Mungare bridge was built, is was decided to draw the piles and replace them with jarrah, which, It was thought, would last “ for ever and a day,”—a popular error which the Mungare bridge authorities no longer indulge in. The jarrah was substituted, but not long ago it was found that the South Australian piles were perforated by worms, while some totara piles which had r.ot been removed for some reason or other, and which had been in the water six years longer than the jarrah, had entirety escaped the ravages of the worms. The Commissioner of South Australia has written to Dr Hector protesting against the exhibition of jarrah t raber In the New Zealand court, and urging discontinuance of such reprehensible practice. The New Zealand Commissioner was however, equal to the, occasion. He admitted that it was perhaps hard on South Australia for New Zealand to show off the inferiority of a neighboring Colony’s products, and he would not willingly be a party to it, but it was necessary to keep the jarrah on view in order to exhibit the specimens of New Zealand marine worms.

“ The Celibates' Retreat” is the title of a house about to be founded in Melbourne for those discontented members of a family who wish to throw oft' all the restraint and troubles of modern house-life, and enjoy themselves in a more Bohemian-like and “ go-as-you-please” slyle. The plan (says t he * ‘ Pleasant Creek News”) is to hire a commodious house and grounds in a healthy suburb, to engage the services of a good cook, a good housekeeper, and a butler. Each celibate will have a separate bedroom and study, and there will be a common diningroom and parlor ; but at the same time should any celibate wish to dine solus, it will be allowed The rules to be observed are punctuality, cleanliness, and temperance (not teetotality.) No ladies will be allowed to enter the “ Retreat,” but at the same time it is to be understood that these gentlemen do not make a vow to perpetuate their celibacy.