GENERAL NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 4, 6 January 1915, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

Amongst the letters received by the Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales last week was one containing the sum of'£os in bank notes. This communication reads as follows:—"Sir, —I have the honor to forward! you as Treasurer for the State of New South Wales the sum of £65, being the percenta amount (or approximately) ol the public debt of this State. Please accept my share as a Christmas present to the State. Ido this as an act of patriotism." .

"As the majority of the roads in the Allendale portion of Creswickshire are constructed of quartz and gravel from the abandoned mines of Berry alluvial field, old miners should be encouraged, after the recent heavy rain, to makes a search for gold, for the wheel traffic crushes the material and exposes the gold," stated a Melbourne message to the Sydney Herald last Monday. "Donald" McLean, an experienced miner, commenced a search of the road to Spring Hill on Christmas Day, immediately after the storm abated, and was rewarded by finding a lump of pure gold, weighing 30 ounces."

The Masterton police on. Monday arrested a young ms\n named Otto. Theal, who had been employed at F. Uosson's shop as a hairdresser since October 10th. It. appears that Theal came to New Zealand just about the time war was declared. He has not been naturalised in New Zealand, but says he was naturalised in Australia. Theal is a line stamp of young German, and has served' in the military forces in Germany. Suspicion w»\ aroused by the fact that Theal was seen to be constantly making notes when the war was being discussed, and; upon further inquiries the police decided to make an arrest. Theal was brought to Wellington yesterday afternoon to be handed over to the 'military authorities.

At the Criminal Court at Ballarat a signalman iti the Railway Department was charged with perjury, alleged to have been committed while he was givingi evidence for the Crown at the Cleneral Sessions in the case of a man who wa_s charged with 'sorting fire to a hedge and fences at Mount Rowan. The jury, after three hours' deliberation, found accused guilty, with a recommendation to mercy on the ground that he had been induced to make his'statement by the police. Mr Justice Cussen said he thought such a thing on the ■ part ■of the police would be reprehensible if it had occurred as alleged. The convicted man was sentenced to six- months' imprisonment, the sentence to be suspended on.his finding a surety that he would be of good behavious for three years.

A case of what the Americans call the unwritten law has occurred in Fiji. Alekisa Yivia was hefore the Supreme Court on a charge of murdering one Marika, aribther Fijian/ His story was that Marika, had come and taken his wife, and he went after them in the bush. When Marika saw him he attacked' the accused with an axe. Alekisa said he had nothing, and closed with Marika, In the struggle, they fell, and the wounds were inflicted accidentally. Marika had two axe cuts in the back, four or five inches long, a knife wound in the stomach about 12. inches long, and a fracture of the skull. Alekisa was sentenced to 12-months' hard labor

For having conspired with others to lefraud! the Perth municipality by tanmering with the electric light meters, a man was recently sentenced to four -years' imprisonment.

Peculiarities of voting are seen in every election. The recount in the Marsden electorate revealed some specimens. Six . papers were spoiled by two literal interpretation of the respective injunctions, "Strike out the top line," and "Strike out ; the bottom line." The would-be electors struck out the very top line on the paper and the very bottom line, thereby simply deleting a line of voting instructions and leaving the actual proposals untouched. Some papers were disalla.wed because the electors had written their names on them. One enthusiast inscribed the word, "Class" against the favoured candidate's name, and "Pats" against the other one. "Massey" was the inscription on one paper, no mark being placed against the name of either candidate. "To li—-1 with the booze" was the startling line found on another.

A woman writer in an Australian paper asks:—What will they call the baby girl rescued by a.. Russian artilleryman near Lemberg? His battery had been severely treated by the enemy, and ordered to retire, when on their way .the soldier saw a small child creeping from a doorway in a village in the track of the oncoming battery. He. went to the baby's rescue, but, as be reached it a shrapnel shell burst overhead, and he had but time to throw himself upon the infant to save it, receiving the wound in bis own back. Two comrades immediately went to his assistance, and he and his little charge arrived at the hospital together, much to the amusement and wonder of the nursing •staff. All three men have received the Cross of St. George in reward of their mercy and bravery.