Untitled

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 51, 4 March 1864, Page 2

During Wednesday and yesterday, the IbcaHty of the late great fire in Tay-street was yisit«a>sby many of the curious. Tip to Wednesday night the smouldering fire was scarcely extinguished ■in some portions of the ruins o f the different buildings,' which still emitted a disagreeable odour 'of charred and burnt wood. After the ruins had sufficiently cooled, search was made by some of the owners of the houses destroyed for any valuables that might have escaped the fire. In one or two instances their sea rch was re wai ded by the discovery of portions of half fused gold and silver watches, two or three half-melted pieces of jewellery, and the remains of a cash -box belonging to the owners of one establishment, which contained a fused mass of gold and silver, representing what had 'been gold and silver coin. The remains of Mrs HaU and the poor girl, Elizabeth Jamieson, were yesterday afternoon conveyed to their last resting place in the new Cemetery on the Duuedin Road. Tbe funeral cortege was composed of many of the friends of the deceased. The Oddfellows, of wliich Society Mr Hall is a member, also followed in large numbers. Nearly all the shops and places of business in Tay-street were closed as a mark of respect to the deceased. MiHall is still confined to the Hospital from the serious nature of the injuries he recieved. An inquest was held yesterday at the Police Court on the body of a child named Buckstoue, twenty-one months old, whose parents reside at Waikivi Bush. It appears that on Wednesday the child accidentally fell into a waterhole, and although rescued before it was drowned, the fright, cold, and shock to the system caused death to result sometime afterwards. The Jury returned a verdict of Accidental Death. We understand that the father of the child was put t-o great inconvenience by having to remove the body of the child into the Police Camp, which he had to do in consequence of instructions from the police authorities. We were under the impression that in such oases the body was removed to the nearest public house for the purpose of holding an inquest if there was no convenient place nearer — similar to the mode of proceeding in Victoria, and other colonies, and we would be glad to know the reason why tlie Coroner here has to pursue a different line of proceeding. Tom Taylor's drama of ' ' Tlie Ticket-of -Leave Man" was produced for the lirst time at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday night, t\\Q house, on the occasion, being more than ordinarily well filled in every portion. The construction of the plot of the drama, wliich, in theatrical phrase, has produced a "greater sensation" on the London stage lately than anything of the kind has ever done, may be understood by giving a resume of the principal characters as they were represented on Wednesday evening. Robert Brierley, the ticket-of-leave man (Mr G. Fawcett) is at first a respectable bnt thoughtless and dissipated son of a Lancashire squire, who in a moment of intoxicated recklessness is led innocently to pass a forged bank note by the contrivance of a pair of scoundrels, Jem Dalton (Mr Carey) and Melte r Moss (Mr Harry Jackson). After being relieved from the four years' penal servitude which lie had to undergo for the crime, Brierley's career is introduced for the purpose of depicting the uphill struggles of an honestly-inclined man in gaining a living with the taint of the " gao bird" hanging to him, a difficulty rendered allthe greater by the power which the two villains, Moss and Dalton, still retain over him by their knowledge of his former crime, and their threat of denunciation. Tliis episode in the story of the ticket-of-leave man is made more interesting by tho introduction of the heroine of the drama, May Edwards (Miss Juno), now the wife of Brierley. Another important character in the drama is that of Hawkshawe (Mr Tom Fawcett), a London detective of the' most brilliant water ; there arc also other minor characters — that of one Mrs Willoughby (Miss Kate Grant), Sam Willoughby (Miss Royal), Mr Gibson, a bill broker (Mr Richardson), and Mal thy, a landlord (Mr Haygarth). The interest of the drama from the commencement is centered in the | representation of the struggles of Brierley : and his wife to pursue an honest course in spite of ally although having to suffer the greatest poverty and hardships in consequence, an interest which is culminated at the finish by the dramatically orthodox denouement, by which "virtue is rewarded and vice punished." Where the success of a drama — and it certainly was a success on Wednesday night — is so mainly dependent on the sensational character of its incidents ; to the introduction of really good dramatic language; to the interesting and gradual development of a well-sustained dramatic plot,'- and also by the adjuncts of good stage scenery, ifc jroiild almost be invidious to select any one of the dramatis perso?im frbm tb c others for special' mention? a Miss Juno, Mr George Fawcett, Mr Harry Jackson, \Mr f ., Tom Fawcett,ahd Mr Carey had aU parts for wHiblil they were well adapted, and in which :they,.by good, acting, ; represented as wellasjr wfe:belieye,~i*t;is .pps£ sible to: do in, these'colphies, cine of the most interesting .of modern dramas. .Nor, must ;we ; forget.;.tomention Miss-Kate Grant ; in the character /of Mrs 7 Willoughby, a garrulous old lady, which that ybunjg lady, played i ;with great humour and tSpiritjzand^in/ which, with a little morelperfect knowledge tof wKat was certainly "a~very &ffic^ in gaining even more applause than she ;^dj on the occasion. Miss Royal was transformed into^jthel young sca^egrace,;Sam WBloughby^ with considerable spirit. .'.'i'i* Mr^Richardson. "as Mif Gibson, and Mr Haygarth as Maltby, made -the most of small parts/ As Nve^ have tlie?

excellent scenery — more particularly a scene representing the Bellevue Gardens, near London, and the old City Churchyard — wag a great aid in contributing, tb tlie success of the piece, which will no doubt have a good rim at tlie Royal, "We liave beeh informed bf tbe death of it woman named Wells, in the Immigration Depot, under circumstances of so very strange a character that, in the absence ipf an-hnqniry,- we*; darernofcitrusfaourselves to make public; If , the half pfcwljat'-we have heard be caused by such barbarous and ■', inhuman neglect, that no censure visited -those concerned could be too severe. What makes" the" iriatter^cussuiSe' a' more serious- aspect is'the J f aet' that HHe' body Of the woman was .buried, yesterday before any induirjr was held, the reason alleged. being |Mt, an ''official inqiiiry" is intended. "'Np~o or semi-offi'cM' investigation," can elicit the truth in such a matter. For the - sake of public right and justice, we hope the. authorities vrill immediately order the exhumation bf,the body,' theVpioper and impartial; investigation /by j the . Coroner twelve jurymen'to elicit the truth, who, 7 if deserved, should visit with the severest reprobation 7 ail^ the persons who are to blames in a cage^hiph at present appears to Tbe one of , tie most disgraceful we have heard of for a long time. _._.. The folloTring is the state of , Her .Majesty's ;. Gaol v^r the week ehdftg- 3rd March;: 1864 -i—^Sentenced t(TSst«l4abour/9 ; awaiting' trial r (Supreme : Qourt)j 7 8 ; under reltrOT<J r^^'.,^ebtoJra, Tj 1 l\inSrais^'.'.W>- . total, 29 ; received dttrihg the week, 9 ; discharged during the .week,'. S. : Jr.,.J s iy, ■:..:. J AyJJ' :-..-,*' : v T The Otago " Daily ! 'bf ; irarch*lsb states :-^ Shortly before ' eleven" i>' clock yesterday 1 night ah oecultation of Jupiter took, place, the moon . passing between the earth and ; that planet. , ., No almanac ;f or these southern latitudes having led to the expectation of such an occurrence, we were not prepared to note the various phases of the phenomehbn-y and only became acquainted witb the fact on. observing the the planet emerging from the moon's upper limb about the hour mentioned;" l: The Daily Telegraph, referring to the mortality of Dunedin, states: — "The past month has been by far the most unhealthy which has been expeexperienced in Dunedin; The usual average of deaths in the community; is a little over one per day, but during February the number of deaths has heen 86. This is for. the registml district which includes besides the city, its suburbs; and vicinity, as far as Blueskin on the one hand, and the Kai» korai stream on the other." ... , „. ,, . ., The following is from the'; Qtago Daiiy '.Times of Tuesday last : — " The Jury empanelled to inquire into the cause of death of Robert < William Eves, attorney's clerk, whose body was found hanging to a tree in Royal Terraoe, London -street, on Friday morning last, have returned a verdict of felode se. Eves's case is a singular one, because, while there was not a word of evidence suggestive of the absence of right reason, there was an equal lack, of anything which could be held to be suggestive as a case of suicide, Wlien John Brown committed suicide a short time. since, in .the,- neighbourhood of York, Place, Eves commented freely upon -the strangeness of a man with plenty of money in his pockets destroying his own life; but he repeated the same* worse than folly, for nearly Ll 2o were found in his pockets. We see by tlie Dunedin pnpers tlin.t the steamers to Melbourne ; are conveying steerage passengers at tive low rate of Ll 10s- each.-.- The Daily Telegraph in regretting the dullness in' trade, ascribes the cause partly to over-trading, and partly to the decrease in the population ; the great exodus being caused by the low fares. A meeting of the Invereargill School Committee was held in the vestry of the Presbyterian Church yesterday, far the purpose of electing a schoolmaster. Allthe members of Committee were present. After carefully selecting; ■-. the result of the voting was as follows : — Mr Ross, of South Riverton, 1;* Mr Pope,' of Dunedin, 2 ; Mr Hamiltohj of Invercargill, 3. We understand that Mr Hamilton will commence his office at cmCe after the vacation, which has been prolonged for eight days.