NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2907, 20 July 1882, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The French Pass buoy has disappeared. Olson and Pierce play a return match at billiards to-night at the Grosvenor. , Sullivan’s murderer, Purukutu, is greatly alarmed at the capture of Winiata. ' Jessica’s First Prayer” will be given to-night in the Congregregational Church. Mr B. Gibson announces that he has ,£2OOO worth of jewellery for sale cheap. ' Junes, a well-known brewer in Christchurch has been informed against for perjury- ' . ' 1 ■The Timaru Steam Collier' Company hold, a meeting of shareholders " to-night at the Town Hall. :

' Mr Jacob Pitmen (brother af the famous Isaac Pitman) is , forming ! a phonetic society in Auckland. ..The Maoris of Auckland are petitioning for the release of Nikare, convicted lor the Oxford murder. 1 They believe him innocent, ' '

; Winiata protests his innocence of the charge of murdering Packer. He says the blood bn his clothes was that of, a flat' fish he had killed. , K ,

'The Auckland Oil,. Soap, and Candle Company are sending to England and America for ne w machinery. The enterprise is immensly popular. The gout has taken ’possession of Spurgeon again, this time very violently, He is unable to walk, or even, to stand, and is constantly suffering intense pain. The medical officer of the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum says that Kitto, who killed his son-in-law, is not in a fit state to be put on his trial.

' Sir George Grey’s Constitution Act gave rise last night to One of the most animated discussions of the. present, session, the opponents of it being extremely “ hot ” in their antagonism. . 'Thedebate on. Oliver Cromwell will ;be continued to-night ,by the Literary and Debating Society. This subject was capitally before, and the..continuation this evening vcju oe well worth hearing. At the Dunedin Land Board, it was decided yesterday that a declaration-made before a Justice of the Peace in Tasmania did not stand good, and that’ a license could be refused in such a case,

The , Assistant Inspector of schools in Auckland, (Mr Peacock), yesterday fell off the wharf. With great difficulty he clung to a pile, and extricated himself after some time. No one heard his cries. “ uEgles,” in the “ Australasian,” says : —“A cab driver, whose nationality was neither Swiss nor yet Italian, conveyed; a member of Parliament; a short journey. Arrived at his destination, the passenger asked what ;he bad to pay. “ Sure, then I’ll leave it to yourself. said :Muldowney. “ Oome, r come,” said the passenger, “ I don’t want this sort of thing. How much do you usually get?” • Well, then sir, sometimes its two shillings, and sometimes eighteen pence, It’s mostly tailors pay me eighteen pence. The following sounds like a lunatics story’:—An American in England not having anything better to do followed a funeral procession, and after the body had been laid in the grave went up and said. “ She is innocent of the crime with which she is charged,” and then withdrew. Everybody was astonished, but hone note Iso than the American when the husband came up to him and said, “ I have tong suspected her, but she assured me when she was dying that she was innocent, and that if I did not believe her, a witness would be raised up even at her grave.” The American declared that he only said what he was obliged to say, being forced to it by something be could not resist.

A strange accident in the Albion Quartz’ Mine, on the. Paporoa range, is reported from Greymoutb, by which one man got; severely burned about the face and neck. On two workmen going into the tunnel in the morning, a quantity of gas exploded on contact with a lighted candle. The explosion knocked both men down, but one who had some experience of the gas, threw himself flat down and escaped uninjured. This is the first instance known here of the existence of such gas in quartz mines.

At the Dunedin Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday the alleged “lambing down” case in which Robert Wright, from the country, sued Henry Scott, licensee of the New Market Hotel, for £lßl3s balance due on cheque deposited, was continued. The defendant gave evidence of a very confused kind, and although he said he entered all his dealings in books he refused to produce them. The Magistrate said it was a disgraceful affair, and gave a verdict for £l4 13s, allowing £2 10s for board and lodging for two days and a half instead of £2llßs as defendant claimed.

The tables were completely turned in a case heard at the Lyttelton Court yesterday. A woman named Arthur was charged by her husband with using threatening language to him and assaulting him. The defendant did not appear in answer to the summons that had been served on her. The complainant stated that since he had obtained an order from the Court prohibit ing his wife being supplied with drink she had threatened him and- assaulted him

violently. Sergeant Morice gave evidence as to the woman’s general bad and violent character, and the Bench sentenced her to two months’ imprisonment with hard labor.'-'- •

A certain Friendly Society’s hall in Timaru was found open yesterday morning at 8 o’clock, and the gas was burning cheerfully.' There was no one in the building. On the discoverer of the gas lighted empty hall going into the building, be observed the mystic letters 1.0.G.T. ove’t the presidential chair. Surely a cold water apostle would not leave the scene of his impassioned harangues without closing the door or turning off the gas.