GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 305, 21 December 1908, Page 2

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

FIRE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Xiglit. A four-roomed house, owned and oc-1 cupied by Kenneth Bethune, in North- 1 East Valley was destroyed by lire yesterday morning. -Mr. Bethune, who was alone i.i the house, retires! to bed at 11.15, leaving a lire in the kitchen range. He was awakened at 2 a.m., when the house was oil.fire. The property was valued at between £450 and .€SOO. The building was.insured for £175 and the furniture for £75.

APPRECIATION OF ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETIES. Wellington, Last Night. Captain Lyo'n, A.D.C. to the Governor, has given u donation eft sto the funds of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, and addressed the following note to the Mr. L. 0. If. Tripp, chairman of the society:—"On leaving New Zealand, T should like to send you a small donation for the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, as a slight return for the really line sport which 1 have had on various occasions during tile last year and a-half. lam certain that the average visitor to New Zealand and also the local fisherman sometimes is only l(io willing to take his sport for granted, and considers lie lias a right to complain if he does not make large baskets upon paying for €1 halting license. This seems all the more extraordinary when one remembers the large sums which people in England are willing to pay for the right of fishing for a mile on one river only. 1 know that £75 is paid on the K'ennct, in Hampshire, for one rod only. If people realised, out here that they owe all their sport to societies such as yours, I feel sure that acclimatisation societies would never be short of funds. I know that I hive appreciated the privileges of Ashing anywhere for practically nothing, and I shall look forward to some day returning and trying my luck again."

A DASH FOR LIBERTY. Palmcrston N., Saturday Night. Yesterday a prisoner nanred John Jones endeavored to cscaipe from a gang working in the Courthouse grounds, but was recaptured by the gaoler before he got very far. When collared, he struck his capturer a severe blow on the face and assistance had to be secured before Jones was finally overpowered. At the Court this morning, Jones was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for attempting to escape from custody and for assault. THE LUCKLESS CHINEE. Palmcvston N,., Saturday Night. Last night the police raided a suspected opium den in Main street. They effected an entrance by picking the lock of a back door, a'nd found three Chinamen in a room at the back. One, Lee Ping, was found smoking, with a considerable quantity of opium in his possession. Two more were discovered in another room with a pipe and paraphernalia. They will be brought before the Court in due course.

IMPORTANT TO HABITUAL CRIMINALS. Wellington, Saturday. An interesting judgment was delivered by Jlr. Justice Chapman on the application by William .Tenkinson Sparrow, at present in custody at New Plymouth, for a writ of habeas corpus. On 23rd November, lilOli, Sparrow was sentenced to two years' imprisonment a r id declared to lye an habitual criminal in respect of an oll'encc which was committed before October 20th, on which date tlie Habitual Criminals and Offenders Act was passed It was contended by counsel making the application that the statute must be construed as prospective only, unless it contained words which clearly showed that it was intended to bo i'otros|>cetivo. His Honor ruled that the Legislature intended t'hj statute to be retrospective ami the rule was discharged. This means that the prisoner will remain in custody.

WESTPORT-STOCKTON COAL CO. Chmtchurch, Saturday Night. The directors of the W-estport-Stock-ton Coal Oov. returned yesterday from a visit to tin' Minos. They express themselves as being highly pleased with the progress of the works. The plant is working well, and the production of coal steadily increasing. More men are required for driving t"he electric locomotives, and when these arc obtained all will be in perfect order.