LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 276, 19 November 1914, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A man named John Ryan, for receiving stolen, property, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at the criminal sessions of the Wellington Supreme Court to-day.—P.A.

Lord Charles Beresford, Lord Desborough, and the Earl of Selborne are amongst the distinguished men who have "been enrolled as special constables.

A bale of wool realised £SOO in the Royal Exchange, Sydney, on Tuesday of last, week, in aid of the Belgian relief fund. It was re-sold no fewer than twenty-two times, the highest price paid for it being the..first,£6o, and the lowest not less than £lO.

A Hamilton Press Association mess/age states that James Fletcher, manager of the Taupiri Coal Mines, Huntly, was arretted by Detective-Sergeant Cooney at Huntly to-day on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the recent" disaster at the mine. Accused was brought before the Huntly Court and remanded unt.il the 27th, hail (self £ l ;!0 and two sureties of an equal amount) being allowed.

In a case which was heard before the court at Tiniaru on Wednesday, the question of the legal ownership of wedding presents came up for discussion (says the Post). Counsel on one side claimed that presents were considered to belong to the bride only by courtesy* unless they were actually given to the groom. Opposing counsel laid down the law that such presents were legally the property of the bride.

Sometimes a child answers a question in a manner which gives wise heads something to think about. .A typical instance was afforded in the Wellington Supreme Court on Thursday (states the New Zealand Times), when Mr Justice Hosking was endeavouring .to impress on a juvenile witness the gravity of an untruth. Having led.up to the point in a gradual way, the learned judge asked, "Where do people go who tell stories?" "To gaol," was the reply, much to the amusement of the court.

A letter to the editor of the Timaru Herald, published on Wednesday, contained the following paragraphs from the Loudon Christian World of October 1: —"A story gained currency some time ago that a British nurse had been mutilated by German soldiers in Belgium, and a sister of the nurse was said to have received a letter from the dying woman, together with a covering letter from a nurse companion. The sister, a resident of Dumfries, has been committed for trial on the charge of having uttered a forged letter purporting to be written by her sister. The nurse in question was not in Belgium, but at Huddersfield."

Tho fate of a couple of bottles of whisky was. the subject of some discussion in the Invercargill Police Court on Wednesday afternoon (says the Southland Times). Detective Sergeant Cameron asked the bench for direction as to how he was to dispose of two bottles of whisky which had been seized in connection with a sly-grog case.; "Can you give them to some charitable institution," asked the Magistrate. "What do you think, Mr Haggitt?". "I don't know," counsel replied. "I don't know whether I may be considered a charitable institution?" The court decreed that counsel was not a charitable institution, and ordered that the liquor be confiscated.

States the Eltham Argus: The defeat of Mr Quin (ex-chairman) for the South Hiding in the Eltham County Council means the removal from the Council i,aole of a man who has a most complete knowledge of county affairs. Geographically he knows every inch, of the county. As. chairman of the Council he has been active and progressive, the result being that the Eltham County Council is well advanced in the matter of roads, bridges and other conveniences. Mr Quin has a fine knowledge of the working of local government Acts and hks proved an efficient chairman. As there was no policy question at stake it may be presumed personal matters swayed the result of the election.

At the Wellington Supremo Court criminal sessions to-day (states the Press Association) William Amos Mullins, who created 'a sensation at 102 Clyde Quay on the night of the 13th August by attempting to murder his wife and commit suicide, was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor for the term of his natural life on the charge' of attempted murder, and on the charge of attempted suicide he was ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. His Honor remarked that to let the prisoner go would be to risk Clio life of the community. The sacredness of human life was the basis of civilisation, and if it were lost this would go to perdition.

The female employees in the Govern ment Printing Office have sent forward to the Belgian Relief Fund a large pasc containing clothing and other articles, all made by the girls themselves (says the Dominion). Thero were 32 complete outfits, and 10 partly complete, for bovs and girls. For each of these 42 children there were toys, and a com was placed in the pocket of each outfit. Altogether the value of the contribution was estimated at nearly £SO.

The noble art of self-defence was practised in a rather vigorous fashion late last Saturday night in Norfolkstreet, Gore (states the Mataura Ensign).' The combatants, who numbered four, had sleeves rolled up, and coats and vests bestrewed the ground close by. • Each of the pugilistic young men has since undergone medical attention. Tt is understood that another early meeting of these local "white hopes" has been arranged for at fcihe stadium presided over by Mr H. A. Young. S.M.

The desire of the children of the Blue Spur School to forego their prizes this year, in otlrer that the prize money may be handed over to the funds for the relief of distress in Great Britain, Ireland and Belgium, was brought before the Blue Spur School Committee at its meeting on Monday evening, when that body passed a resolution that the children's request be acceded to, to the extent of handing over to the relief funds the proportion of the proceeds of the concert usually spent in the purchase of prizes-viz., three-fourths of the proceeds.