AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2518, 16 April 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wm. Brown, convicted of a capital offence upon his own daughter, was executed at 9 o’clock on the morning of March 29 within the precincts of Darlinghurst G-aol, Now South Wales. The condemned man walked to the scaffold quietly and calmly, betraying no emotion. He died without a struggle.

An attempt at murder occurred at a shanty near Menainurtco Station, 60 miles from Wilcannia, on Monday night March 28. An old man known as Bill the Carpenter stabbed ft young station hand in 16 places. Both had been drinking together. The cause was jealousy of a woman in charge of the shanty, who had been left in care of a man by a person with whom she had been living, and who went in the goldfields. Her husband is in prison, undergoing a sentence. A horrible murder was committed on March 26 at Stanlej' street. South Brisbane, Queensland. Mrs O’Donnell had her throat cut by her sister in-law, Miss O’Donnell, who afterwards cut her own throat. Mrs O’Donnel's head was nearly severed. The murderess Annie O’Donnell, has since died from her self inflicted wounds. It is believed to have been temporary insanity.

IMPEISONMENT IN A MININGCLAIM.

At the Sandhurst (Victoria) Police Court on March 28, Gillespie M‘Donucl, mining manager of the North G.G. Tribute Company, was charged with having on the 21th inst. unlawfully assaulted and imprisoned J. E. Eeardon draper, and Philip Young, enginecleaner on the Victorian Eailways, in the mine for a period of an hour, against their will and without any legal warrant or authority or reasonable or justifiable excuse. The evidence given by Eeardon was to the effect that, on the evening prior to the date of tbe occurrence, he saw the defendant in Pall Mall, and he told witness that something fresh had been discovered in the mine, and if he would go out early in the morning he (defendant) would take him down. Witness and Young went out to the mine about half-past 7 next morning. One of the directors who arrived about the same time wont below with the manager. Witness and Young waited about half an hour until they came up again. M'Donnell then said the air was very bad, and walked away with the director He returned shortly afterwards, and told witness there was nothing in the stone. Witness returned to Sandhurst, but hearing contradictory reports of the mine, he went to the legal manager’s office, and procured an order to go down (he shaft. Young again accompanied him to the claim, and the defendant being absent the braceman let them down on the order being presented to him. The only way of getting up or down the shaft was by the ladders, which were nearly perpendicular. The entrance to the ladder shaft was a small opening only about 3Sin wide. After staying below about half an hour

witness and Young ascended the ladders, but found a plank .across the main hole, and M'Donnell was nailing battens alongside of it. Asked M'Donnel what ho meant, and he replied—- “ You , you got there without my order, and you’ll have to stop there.” It was then 1 o’clock. Witness said ho wanted to get up into the fresh air. but defendant said he would see him first. He said that if they gave him £2O he would let them up. Witness would not at first agree to the proposal, but after hanging on to the ladders some time longer agreed to give defendant that amount. Defendant sent a man away for a cheque and pen and ink, but the man was unable to obtain these. Whilst he was away, M'Donucll said ho would not let them up under £2O each. As they were ascending the ladders, the braceman to whom the order was presented went down, and when M'Donnell made the demand stated, Young called the braceman up, and got him to pass the legal manager’s order up through the crevices between the battens. A man named Jones, mining manager of a neighbouring claim took it, and handed it to M'Donnell, who said he “ didn’t care a about the order, he was boss there.” The order was handed back to witness, and defendant said if witness would write an apology on the back of it, and a promise to take no legal proceedings, ho would let them up for £4O. Jones then interfered, and insisted upon the prosecutors being let up. He threatened to knock M'Donnell down the shaft if he did not get off the battens, on which defendant was standing, and finally Jones pulled the battens up. It was a quarter to 2 when witness and. Young were released. The air in the shaft was very bad ; the candles would not burn, and witness felt a suffocating feeling. He asked for a glass of water, but M'Donnell refused his request. Another man brought him a glass afterwards, however. Witness would have paid £2O to the defendant if he had let them up. The other prosecutor (Young) corroborated this evidence, and stated that he held 800 or 900 shares in the company.

The legal manager of the company deposed that the prosecutor Reardon had paid calls on 1 200 shares in the company. Other witnesses corroborated Reardon’s testimony.. The Bench intimated their intention of committing the defendant for trial, and in reply to the question as to whether he had anything to say, the defendant stated that his object in acting as he had done was more to prevent an accident than anything else. He entertained no malicious feeling against either of the men. He was willing to give them every information but the mine was in a dangerous state that day, and he had told the prosecutors so. He would not let his own men work in it on that account. The defendant was committed for trial at the Court of General Sessions, bail being allowed in two sureties of £25 each, and defendant in £I OO.

In Sydney alone, during the past 12 months, 44 policemen have been incapacitated from duty, many for long periods, in consequence of ill treatment received in the discharge of their duties. Lovers of those popular delicacies, hot cross buns, are informed that Messrs J. 13. Witt and Co’s confectionery establishment in Church street, will be open from 7 am. to 10 p.m., on Good Friday morning, and an abundant supply of hot cross buns will be on band. Mr C. Patton, pianist, notifies that the Tradesmens’ Quadrille Assemblies will not be held until after the Easter Holidays. Members re-assemble April 21. In connection with the above, a dancing class