LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 983, 27 July 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Determined Suicide. —Captain Johnston committed suicide at Raglan on Thursday by . shooting himself through the heard;. He had been in a low state of mind sine# the death of his favourite daughter two months ago. Hil wrote an obituary notice for the Star before • committing the rash act. Christy Minstrels. —On Friday evening next the local Club of Christy Minstrel* will give their first entertainment, in aid of the Brass Band. The club has been practising assiduously for a long time under the joint directorship of Messrs Edmonds and' Stratton, and will, doubtless, give a good account of themselves when they appear. The programme is published in another column, and is a very attractive one. In addition to the above, Mr George Lerene will make a great display with, white lights in front of the Hall, prior to the entertainment taking place, and this is a novelty which we would recommend people not ta lose the opportunity of seeing,, more especially as nothing will be charged for it. An Irish “ Bull.” —A real specimen of an Irish “ bull ” was let in the Napier Resident Magistrate’s Court the other day. A witness, who spoke with a genuine brogue, was giving evidence as to Mr Carnell firing off a gun close to the Taradale road. The gun was fired twice —the second time after the witness had passed with his horses. Mr Lascelles asked him whether he looked when the second shot was fired. “Na; Oi was busy luckin’ to me horses.” “ Thea,” asked Mr Lascelles, “ how do you know it was Mr Carnell who fired the shot ?” The witness ndignaistly responded—“ What! Ow did oi kna P D’ye think I was so deaf I couldn’t see him?” The Court roared,

A Great Mistake. —The Exhibition buildings were offered for sale in Christchurch. £3600 was offered in a lump sum for them but tbe reserve was £4OOO, and so it was reiolved to sell each bay icparately. The result was that they only realised £2628, or £loooless than the lump sum offered. Their erection cost over £IO,OOO. The OAMAEtr Murder Case. —The hearing of the charge against Alexander Beattie, for the murder of Sarah Adam* was concluded last Monday. His Worship said that this was one of those cases in. which there were so many contradictions and matters requiring further investigation, that he felt bound to send the case to a higher Court. Noumea Convicts. —The captain of the ■chooner Telegraph, which ha* arrived from Noumea at Auckland, reports an outbreak amongst the convicts there. A number attempted to escape with a view to seizing one of tbe vessels i a the harbour. Seven were shot down by the military, and the outbreak Was quelled. The authorities succeeded in keeping the matter out of the New Caledonian newspapers. Attempt to Defraud. —A telegram was received by the Manager of the Shamrock Mine, Victoria, reporting an improvememt in the reef. The manager, doubting its accuracy, telegraphed for a confirmation, and then discovered an attempt had been made . to force the price of shares. The telegraph operator •t Bgerton station was arrested, and confessed , he had concocted the telegram. He is said ‘ to hold 200 shares, which he bought on terms . and sought to sell on a rise. Death from Drowning.—At Baleluthc, last Sunday, Mr Fergus Fergusson, teller ot the Colonial Bank, and Mr Robert King, o~ the National Bank, went bathing in the river, which was flooded with snow water. They swam across, and on their return King was seized with cramp, and reached the bank with difficulty. He missed Fergusson shortly after parting with him, and he was not seen afterwards. Fergusson was a young man, unmarried, and his father is a clergyman in Glasgow. Farming Items. —The “Otago Daily Times ” reports htat the N. Z. and A. Land Company have sold all their season’s make of cheese, some 12 to 15 tons, at the highly satisfactory price of B|d per lb. The quality is said to be splendid. The “ Oamaru Mail ” •tates that “ the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have made special arrangements with the Union Steamship Company to convey something like 15,000 tons of potatoes to Sydney.” Infanticide. —Sarah Johnston, a servant at the Masonic Hotel at Combndge, had been for some time suspected pregnant, but denied her state to her friends and htr medical attandant, saying she was suffering from an internal complaint. On Monday sight she gave birth to a child. The servants in the house heard the cry of an infant, and this coming to the ears of the police, a search was made, and the body of an infant was found buried behind a pigstye. An inquest was held on Tuesday, and the gild was arrested on a charge of infanticide.

Cheap Sale. —M essrs T. F. Coghlan and Co., of the Hall of Commerce, Timaru, advertise in another column that they are now holding a cheap tala of goods to make room for a fresh supply. They point out that as they hare only heen’a few months in business, it is no old stock which has been accumulating for years they are disposing of, but new goods, imported last season, and that persons may therefore rely on getting good value for their money. As we know that these statements are true we do not hesitate to recommend our readers to pay the Hall of Commerce a visit, and have no doubt that their wants will be supplied on satisfactory terms.

The Dunedin Benevolent Astltjm. —lt Will be remembered that some time ago certain charges were made against the master of the above institution, which fell through. This led to an inquiry and the result is given by Messrs Whitefoord and Gillies as follows: —“ We cannot conclude this report without expressing our high sense of the present excellent management and. state of efficiency of the Asylum. The interior management reflects the highest credit on Mrs Quin, and the excellence of the general arrangements is abundantly attested by the general comfort and contentment of the inmates, and the almost unanimous chorus of negations with whieh our invitation to make complaints was made. The Timaeu Levanteb.— According to the account J. M. Shepherd gives of himself he lodged at the Palace Hotel. San Francisco, where he was constantly drunk for five weeks. How he got on board the mail Steamer for Auckland he does not exactly know, but he states he intended to surrender on his arrival, and further alleges he wished to do so to save another man who was supposed to be implicated in the transactions, hut who is innocent; All the prisoner’s luggage is labelled for Cbri*tchureh,'and that fact in some measure bears out his statement. Shepherd was brought up at the Auckland Police Court on Tuesday, and remanded to Timaru, leaving for his destination the same day.

Good Hope Lodge, 1.0.G.T. —The usual weekly meeting of the above lodge was held on Monday evening last, Bro. Sa»do } G.W.Y.T., presiding. There was a numerous attendance present, both of ladies and gentlemen, After the usual routine business, a most successful programme was gone through, consisting ®f readings by Bros. J Brown and McCann, songs by Bros. E Brown, "Wyberg, Turner, Harrop, and Sheen, and a recitation by Bro. Coltman. A duet by two prominent members was held over until next meeting. It was announced by the presiding officer that the nomination and election of officers for the ensuing term would take place on Monday evening next, when he hoped the members would unite in large force. The proposition of four candidates and their election terminated a most enjoyable evening.

Gilbert AND Sullivan. —T he following description (probably fanciful) is given by the musician Ccllicr of the way in which Gilbert and Sullivan write their opera* together. “ They sit down and talk and smoke innumerable cigarettes together,” he says, “ while fiiey are getting their ideas together: Gilbert says t* Sullivan ‘ I’ve got an idea. Sullivan screws his glass into his eye, looks at Gilbert critically for a moment ■ and say* ‘Have you ? I really shouldn’t have thought it of you,’ ‘ X want the girl to sing something like this,’ continues Gilbert. * Make it the man,’ puts in Sullivan ; and by the way I want you to write something for that eherus —something that they can sing la-te-ta and so on ; and so they talk and joke and smoke cigarettes until the opera is evolved.”

Geraldine Beagle Club.—Last Wednesday a meet of the above took place at Winchester. A large field wa* present, including several ladies. The first cast was made in Mr T. Conolly’s paddock, but was unsuccessful, Mr James Paterson’s paddock was next tried, with better result. After following the hare —which declined to leave the paddock—for some time, it was run into and killed.. Mr Deßenzy’s paddock was next attempted. Hares were plentiful here, and plenty of jumping ensued, but no kill resulted, tbe covsr being very plentiful. Mr Francis Barker kindly provided lunluncheon, to which ample justice was done, after which more hunting was indulged in, and L those present separated about 3 p.m. Several falls occurred during the day, but only bruises and involuntary loss of skin resulted. The next meet takes place on Saturday next. Terribly Sudden Death.—A melancholy occurrence took place on May 14 in the Roman Catholic Church, Harrington-street, Dublin. The Rev Canon Murphy, the parish priest was celebrating 8 o’clock mass, and after the elevation he proceeded to address the congregation from the altar steps. He was exhorting the people against outrages, and strongly denouncing the murders in the Park. Getting vehement in his utterances, he raised his hand in warning, and was proceeding to say that “ the blood of the murdered men would cry for vengeance.” when his voice faltered and he paused. Again ha attempted to go on with the sermon, and scarcely had he said the word “ blood ” the second time when he fell senseless o» the altar and was dead in seven minutes after. The event caused great commotion. The congregation then joined in prayer for the dead and left the chapel. Canon Murphy was only 50 years of age, and was much respected. He did not present the appearance of a man subject to disease of heart,

Messrs Maclean and Stewart, Timaru, will sell next Saturday, horses, drays and harness. Mr W. C. Andrews will sell a bay horse at the Geraldine Pound next Saturday, if not Mr F. Storey notifies that the Wallingford Family and Cemmercial Hotel will ha open next Saturday. Messrs R. Wilkin and Co. will sell today, at Timaru, a very choice assortment of fruit and forest trees ; and at the Fairlie Creek Pound, some valuable freehold farms, horses, cows,” drays, ploughs, etc., etc.