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Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 475, 28 May 1890, Page 3

A Hobart cablegram to the “ Sydney Telegraph” says: “The Supreme Court was occupied all day to-day hearing the charge of murder against Thomas Thompson, who on February 27th shot his wife, Catherine Mary Thompson, during a drunken fight. Three shots were fired at deceased, one of which produced a compound comminuted fracture of the left thigh bone, necessitating amputation, from the effects of which the woman succumbed. The defence set up was a plea that accused was hereditarily disposed to dipsomania, and having been drinking heavily just previous was insane at the time of the committal of the offence. The jury were locked up for five hours and a half, after which they returned a verdict of manslaughter. The Chief Justice sentenced prisoner to imprisonment for life. He did not feel justified in accepting tho responsibility of risking a repetition of prisoner’s behaviour in this instance. Something Like a Fog.—A British captain claims that he saw a vessel go through a Newfoundland fog and leave an open space like a tunnel. Another ship was able to follow, keeping the other in sight all the wav. The first vessel had its decks all littered up with fog and carried some of it into port.