TASMANIA.

Southland Times, Issue 931, 10 April 1868, Page 2

TASMANIA.

Connors, convicted of the murder; of Ellen Griffiths at Longford, was executed on the 17th ult., protesting his innocence to the last. The Hobart Town correspondent of the " Launceston Times'* seems sceptical as to the success of the salmon experiment: — "Fresh rumora hare been current for some days as to salmon having been seen in the upper waters of the Derwent and also in the Plenty. The savants ot course are jubilant. Eor my part, I shall be quite content to rejoice over the return of the salmon when I have seen one. Nets are abundant, and the rivers are not very wide ; if then the fish are there, little difficulty should be experienced in catching one, and so setting a very important question at rest." At the Police Court, Hobart Town, on the 19th, the stipendiary magistrate, Mr A. B. Jones, gave his decision in the case of an application by Mr Eussell Young, that the bench would direct the stamping of a certain deed of agreement between the Eev. Robert M'Lean and the managers of St. John's Church. It appeared that the deed had been considered as an agreement, and had been stamped with a shilling stamp as such. Mr Jones now ruled that it was a deed under seal, and required a" 2s 6d stamp. Mr M'Lean was therefore fined £5, and the deed was stamped in the presence of the magistrate. Mr Xoung at once applied for the remission of the fine ; but Mr Jones said that would rest with the Governor. A young lad, named Eobert Clubburn, fell overboard from the schooner Governor Wynyard, on her way from the Don to Lauaceston, and was drowned. Messrs W. A. Guesdon and Co. sold the entire property of the Seymour Coal Mining Company, on the 17th. The first lot was the entire interest of the Seymour Coal Mining Company in land to about 300 acres of land at Seymour, possessing an extensive plant, comprising two steam-engines, fireclay and : brick works, jetties, coal depots, &c. Also the barge Seymour, 55 tons register, but capable of carrying 90 tons coal. The purchaser of this lot was Mr H. S. Barrett, and the price paid was £3800. The floppnre Season.— The "Mercury " learns that Mr Eberiezer Shoobridge, of Busby Park, New Norfolk, formally opened his hop-drying kiln a few days ago, inviting about seventy of his workmen and their families to a dinner, which was laid in the large cooling-room adjoining the kiln. Hoppicking was commenced at New Norfolk on Monday last, and is now progressing actively. Although the whole of _ the crop is hardly fit, there are patches which are well advanced, and these are now being gathered in. In a week or two the whole crop will be ready, and the work of picking will go on in earnest. A Match fob BuEGitABS. — An attempt was made by two men, on Wednesday night, to rob the house of Mrs "Windeatt, in Cimitiere-street, but their efforts were frustrated by Mr Eobert 1 Windeatt. Mr Windeatt tetired to rest ' in a room on the ground floor about halfpast eleven o'clock, but did "not imme-

lately go to Bleep. After being In bed for some time he imagined he heard a noise amongst some bushes in front of the house, but took little heed of it. presently, however, Miss Windeatt, who occupied an. upstairs room, called out that there was some one in the house. Mr Windeatt then rose, obtained a light, armed himself with a sword-bayonet, and proceeded into the parlour, where he found the window-blind drawn io a side, and the sash raised, but saw no one in the room. Prom the parlor he went into the hall, where he discovered two men, who were, trying to escape by a side door. Going up to them he said if either of them moved again he would run them through. One of the fellows, however, made an attempt to escape, when he received a taste of Mr W.^s bayonet, and at once desisted. Miss Windeat was then despatched for assistance, and returned in a few minutes with Mr A. , Rankin, who then guarded the men till j Mr Windeatt obtained the aid of Mr E. | H. Dix, when they were marched off to | the watchhouse. Whilst Mr Eankin was on guard, one of the robers named Ryan said, "I wish I. had a knife; you wouldn't keep me here if I had." They were brought up at the Police com t, and both committed for trial.—" Examiner," March 21. Fenianism nr Latjncestoit— A party of gentlemen were stting in the parlor of an hotel in Xaunceston recently, when a man who was considerably " elevated" by drink (whose name on this occasion we withhold), walked in and commenced a disturbance. On being requested to retire, the fellow refused to comply, and seized a decanter with the intention of throwing it at one of the company, saying at the same time that he was " a Tenian to the back bone." Considering the amount of feeling evoked by the news received of the attempted assassination of H.R.H. Prince Alfred, it is no wonder that this declaration caused the shameless, boaster to be somewhat forcibly ejected from the room, the offender's face receiving a somewhat severe battering m the operation. The infatuated man held a position of trust in one of the banks, and the foregoing circumstances having been placed beyond doubt, the manager very properly ordered his instant dismissal.