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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 66, 23 June 1863, Page 2

It will be seen by our advertising columns that a meeting of tlie Finance Committee of the Fire Brigade will be held this afternoon, at Messrs Dalgoty, Kattiay, and Co.'s store, when a report of the financial condition of the Brigade will be submitted. A petition to the Town Board is in course of signature by the inhabitants of Dee-street, requesting thafc body to represent to his Honor the Superintendent the necessity of side-paths being at once formed in that street. When Tay-street is level as a bowlinggreen, and Hansom cabs ?hall convey our busy traders from one part of the city to another ; -when the railway brings the Aldinga's passengers from the Bluff, and the Town Belt shall be a Rotten Row in a different sense to what it is now, the following facts will read curious. Four men -were coining down Tay-street on Friday night, and had passed a man well known at Long Bush rather tho worse for beer. Opposite Macgoorge's store, he strayed too far from the flax footpath and was soon firmly embedded up to a joint above the knee, in half-frozen mudIt required the united exertions of the whole .party to extricate the man from his perilous position, when it was found tliat he was minus a boot, and it is wo- hy of record that a shoemaker amongst the party most feelingly handed him his car-1. List night, aho.-.t eleven o'clock, as a gentleman, who r- s ides in Yarrow-street, was proceeding h„ .icwards, passing through the Arcade, a man suddenly sprang out from behind a post, and attempted to grip him by the throat, but failed. A tussel ensued, but the would-be garotter succeeded in making liis escape '.tftcr receiving a knock or two on the head. The Town Hoard appears to have awakened from sleep. At a recent meeting of that body it was determined to form the sidepaths in Tay-street. This is a step in the right direction. "We hope, also, that they will push forward vigorously with forming Kelvinstreet, as the traffic is daily increasing, and at the present moment it is almost impossible for carts, or even pedestrians, to get through the mud. This is the first by-street whicli the Board has taken in hand, and we hope shortly to see Spey, Deveron, and Esk streets made at least passable. A meeting of the Southland Total Abstinence Society was held last evening in the Schoolroom (Mr Beaven in the chair), to adopt rules, appoint office-bearers, &c. After considerable discussion, most of the rules submitted by the provisional committee were passed. A president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary were appointed ; the committee will consist of seven, five to form a quorum. The attendance was both numerous and respectable. A noted local celebrity made his appearance in a new character at the Police Court on Saturday. Hitherto he has been only known for eccentricity of manners, but the Black Doctcr, now stands charged with the serious offence of sending a threatening letter to a respectable firm. The facts as at present elicited seem to be these. Messrs. M'Donald and Russell intimated to the Doctor (who is not legally possessed of the ground he occupies;, that tlie land was required for building purposes, and he would have to " flit." The Doctor was very indignant at this interference with his rights, real or imaginary, and dared any one to come near bim. A day or two afterwards the legal gentlemen received through the post a rude scrawl, signed '• Antonio Williams, the Black Doctor." which stated that they would both be shot if they interfered Avith the subscriber — a dagger surmounted the document. The " Doctor" was ably defended by Mr. South, who affirmed that his client could not write a line, and endeavored to show there was no evidence either that he had written or sent fche letter in question. Mr. Harvey, for the prosecution, asked and obtained a remand, in order that they might procure the attendance of a person who could prove that the prisoner can use the pen. The Wakatip Mail of the 17th, says that a case of sticking-up occurred on the Shotover, between Arthur's Point and Maori Point, a day or two ago. It appears that a person named Bailey was stepped by two men wearing masks, and robbed of £44 and a deposit receipt. This receipt and £± they kindly returned, at the same time telling him that they had beon swamped out of their claims on the river ; and, as they were starving, they were compelled to adopt this mode of replenishing their purses. In fact, after a polite apology, reminding one of the palmy days of Claude Duval, and other chivalrous "knights of the road,*' they bowed themselves off, leaving the unfortunate involuntary philanthropist [minus £40. He states that he is unable to identify the robbers, so that they have a good chance of escaping tlxe arm of the law, which, at the best, is very weak in this district.

The Wakatip Mail, of t M c 17th inst., apeak ofthe late supposed murder on the Shotover, says : — -"The necessity for. greater police protection on the Shotover grows very clamant. We have waited with patience in the expectation that we should hear of some notice being taken by the superior police authorities of the district in reference to the murder lately committed on the Upper Shotover. Strange to say, however, we are not yet in possession of any facts which we can lay before the public. That murder has been committed, and that the body, after having been seen, was subsequently removed, we have little doubt. There is at least evidence strong enough to warrant this belief, unless something by way of explanation of this extraordinary occurrence is put forth. The subsequent disappearance of the body goes far to prove that the murderer himself removed it, for we cannot conceive that any man without a motive would hide or bury the body and remain silent. The time which elapsed, too, between the discovery of the body and the search for it, warrants the belief that the murderer is one in the neighborhood. It will cause a cry of shame throughout ail Christian communities if this matter is allowed to drop in the way it seems likely to do. We must also remark that it says little for the efficiency of the police that the matter has not been satisfactorily sifted long ago. "