FATAL SCUFFLE BETWEEN MINERS.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 63, 16 August 1884, Page 6

FATAL SCUFFLE BETWEEN MINERS.

Dunedin, August 12. Ax inquest was hold at Queenstown by the Coroner touching the death of Joseph Savell Mayne. The deceased was, at the time of his death, at Kees Valley, at the head of the lake, where he had been for weeks, in company with some other miners, prospecting the Independent quartz-mining claim. On the evening of Sunday, August 9, about six or seven o'clock, whilst in his hut, an argument arose between himself (deceased being of a very excitable temperament) and Joseph Mitchell, who had come in from an adjoining hut ; a miner named Frewer being present. Deceased took hold of Mitchell, and threatened to put him out, when the latter pushed him on to a, bed> Mitchell then let go deceased, who rose, walked to the fire place, and reeled down, crying out, " Alf !" Mitchell immediately lifted deceased on to the bed, but he died in his arms. The scuflle lasted about ten minutes. The two had always appeared good friends till then. The men had no intoxicating drink that day, and no blows were struck. Deceased fell against a box and struck the side of his head. Dr. Douglas, who made a post mortem examination, said that had he been consulted at any time he should have advised deceased to avoid any kind of excitement, as his heart was so affected that undue excitement would have caused death. The jury returned a verdict of " Death from heart disease whilst in a state of excitement." Mayne was a colonist for more than thirty years, the earlier portion of which he spent on the Victorian goldfields. He and his party were the discoverers of the celebrated "Wilcannia" nugget. He leaves a wife and family of six grown-up children.

Nkw York, August 11.— A sharp shock of eai thquake occurred yesterday over an extensive portion of this country. The ollects were felt from Maryland to Maine, and extended inland as far as the Allegheny mountains. A considerable amount of damage was done to buildings in various places, but no persons were killed or seriously injured.

ptai from thftt ptttsned by Mr Grant at Pliaftwhniy. Though the Urn] there is under occupation, and in places is being jultivated and improved, still it does not present that aspect of rural prosperity ffhich one could desire to see. • Ihe nost successful way to settle the company's properties would be the disposal if the laud in pieces of from 500 to 1000 acres to small capitalists, instead 3 f by locating on tUvoe-acre patches 'amities who know no more aboui cultivating the soil than they th about the - science of astronomy. The prospect of ihe immediate and proper settlement of ' ihes« extensive blocks of valuable land nust be taken as indication of a prosperous future for the Cambridge anvl Oxford districts. The settlers will have ( ihe advantage of railway communication md other minor advantages which the < .avliev settlers have not enjoyed.—Wain: „