LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 986, 3 August 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Winchester Faib.—The above fair takes place to-day. Vital Statistics.— The following are the vital statistics for this district for the month ended, 31st July :—Marriages, nil: births, 12; deaths, 4.

Libebated.—-Neilson and Wilkins, who were sentenced at Dunedin to a month's imprisonment for a breach of " The Trade Marks Act," were reloased yesterday.

Incendiarism. Denis Heffernan was brought up before the E.. M. Court in Timaru last Tuesday, charged with being an accessory to the burning of his stacks of grain, and remanded till today, bail being allowed—himself in £IOO and two sureties £IOO each. Prison Labob.—A deputation of bootmaking, cabinetniakmg, printing, capentering, bookbinding, and tailoring trades waited on the Public Petitions Committee, in Wellington lust Tuesday, in support of their petition against the teaching of skilled labor in gaols. The Timaku Levanter.—J. M. Shepherd passed through to Timaru yesterday in charge of two constables. It haying been reported that he would arrive by the late train on the previous day, 300 people assembled at the Timaru station to see. In consequenca of this, the police had him deposited at the Washdyke station, whence they drove him into Timaru. At the police court he was charged with forging and uttering a promissory note for £250, and remanded for eight days.

Sam Welled in Court.—When " Sam Woller," of deaf and dumb notoriety, appeared before the Mayor of Masterton to prosecute a dusky maiden from Te Ore Ore, bearing the musical name of Totoi Tamilian*, and was asked to give eridence, he wrote ae follows:—" I have sold scissor and 4, handerchief but They cheat to pick goods form Basket on Perambulor to open by many Maories Thief in their houses last Saturday morning. lam lost it by their hand in goods basket." Accused produced another Maori maiden, who declared that she saw eighteen pence paid for the shirt which the speechless hawker alleged to bo stolen, and Totoi was discharged. Another Suicide.—Lieut. Drake, of H.M.5. Nelson, while taking a walk in the bush towards Flagstaff Hill, came upon the body of a man near Russell with his throat cut, and a knife still grasped in his hand. It was identified as the remains of Daniel Mann, brother of David Mann, the well-known jockey. He relurned from a trip to Auckland by the Q-lenelg last Tuesday, and it was remarked he seemed strange in his manner, like one who had been drinking heavilj. Since his arrival nothing had been seen of him till his body was found. An inquest was held, and a verdict returned that lie committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.

Thl Eabbit Questiok.—To show that there are two sides to the rabbit question in New Zealand (says the Wairarapa Star),J we may quote the following passage which occurs in a letter that we hare jiu!, rcccimd from a well-known colonist residing in Wellington :—"I had a conversation with of the Lower Valley, on the rabbit question, and he is far from thinking they are a nuisance. They feed, and employ hundreds, and are the most effective statesmen in New Zealand. They only injure poor unwieldy properties, and I advise the settlement of the. country by small farmers. I see the ignorant Government are importing ferrets. These will not destroy rabbits, but will do infinite damage to small farm-yards."

The Boabd of Education—At the meeting of the above Board held yesterday, Dr Foster moved —'* That the former resolution of the Board, requiring all applications to be forwardodto Committees, be rescinded." After lonie discussion, Mr Wakefield seconded the motion pro forma, and on being put to the meeting was lost. The Temuka Committee re> quested the Board to value the present school buildings. It was their intention to follow in tht footsteps of the Waimate Committee. It was mentioned.incidentally, that a customer could probably be found at £6OO. It was decided that the Secretary should say that the Board was prepared to accept such a price intending buyers to be informed that it must go to auction. This would make it appear that our local Committee hare determined to sell the school. We cannot remember a meeting at which such a conclusion wae arrived at. The paragraph is taken from the South Canterbury Times, but eurely the report is incorrect. Burnt to Death. —News has arrived by the San Francisco mail to the effect that a brother and a little neice of Mr Snisted of Karoi, near Wellington, have been bnrned to death in America in a very shocking manner. It appears that the deceased. Mr Karl Ourtoff Snisted, lived on bis ranch near Warm Creek, Oneida County, Idaho. He got up in the night to put out a light, -which had been left burning, when it exploded in his hands, and in a moment he was enveloped in flames. Thinking more of the danger to his children than of himself, lie took his little girl and carried her as far as the door, but was obliged to drop her and run to the creek to extinguish the flames round his person. The screams of Mrs Snisted aroused some n- iglibours, and the fire was put out. The child was so badly burned that its recovery was hopeless. When Mr Snisted came from the creek his appearance was horrifying, The skin and nails had entirely left his hands and feet. Wliile his wounds were being dressed he did not seem to suffer pain. An eye witness remarks —"He effered up to th« Great Father one of the most solemn and affecting prayers I ever heard, desiring that he would administer to them in time of need for he feared ho would not be with them long." The unfortunate father died at 4 p.m. and the little girl at 11.45 p.m. on the day of the accident. Ho leaves a widow and two children, and is described as being a man much respected by ail classes of people in the part of the country were he resided. He was born at Goodwood, Otago, New Zealand on the 17th Feb, 1854, and was a " Latter Pay Saint,"—Cba-iptckurcl; Jelegraph.

The Mbmbbb to* Stanhobe. —At a public meeting in Knightstown, a portion of the Stanmore electorate, last Tuesday night, a resolution was passed that Mr Pilliefc had forfeited the confidence of his constituents, and requesting him to resign; Thb Pebsecuted Jbw3. — 1 meeting was held in the Theatre Eoyal, Timaru, last Monday evening to collect funds for the relief of the persecuted Jews in Bussia. Mr E. Wakefield occupied the chair. Archdeacon Harpe r moved—" That this meeting cordially sympathise with the distressed Jews in Eussia, and are anxious to promote the movement for affording them relief." The motien was seconded by Mr Granger, and carried unanimously. The Eev Mr Gillies moved — " That a Committee be appointed to collect subscription! in pursuance of the object of this meeting; the amount collected to be forwarded to the Mansion House Belief Fund ; the Committee to be formed of the following gentlemen : The Chairman (Mr Wakefield), Messrs M. Jonas, H. Friedlander, J. Levien, J. Granger, J. Jackson, Wm. Jones, H. J LeCren, and the clergymen of the various denominations, with power to add to their number." The Eev Mr Sharp seconded the resolution. Mr Moss Jonas on behalf of the Jewish congregation moved a veto of thanks to the Chairman, and the speakers having been carried the meeting terminated.

Mechanics' Institute. The usual monthly meeting of the Conmittee of the above M'as held last Tuesday evening. Present—Dr Hayes (President), Ashwell, Twoniey, Gentlemun, and Lee. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The report of the librarian, enclosing £6 5s 6d, was read. Account 3 were passed for payment. A letter was read from Mr Badham stating t that if up-country subscribers were given the privilege of taking about three books at a time, and could get them whenever they called, he was sure a good many more would join the Institute. The President •aid he had replied to Mr Badham to the effect that the Committee would be willing to meet his views as far at possible. The action of the President was approved'of. A letter from Mr O'Halloran was read with regard to th t fence between the Institute and the Post-office. It was resolved—" Thai the Committee are not in a position to take action in the matter at present.". After some business of no public interest have been "dealt with the meeting adjourned.

Death erom Starvation.—Last Monday Constable O'Leary, -who is stationed in North Invercargill, was informed that a man named McWatt wa« lying in a home in an apparently dying condition. The constable went and found McWatt dead. No marks were upon his body to indicate accident or foul play. The house was, however, entirely destitute of property and food, with the exception of a portion of a turnip, which had evidently been bittern by someone, presumably by deceased. The dead man is a mere skeleton, and tha constable is of Jopinion that he died of starvation. McWatt has, it is said, been following the rocation of an insurance agent or canvasser for some time past, and in that and other capacities was pretty generally known about town. At the inquest or the body the evidence showed that the deceased had refused offers of food from tome near neighbors. The Coroner said he appeared to have been of a preud, sensitive, and nervous dispositioa, shrinking from the exposure of his poverty, and preferring to die rather than make his necessities known. Suoh cases, although rare, were not altogether unknown. The case was a singular and extraordinary one, for certainly no niaa or woman in the colony need die of starvation in the midst of a populous district. The jury found that Archibald McWatt died of ,f syn> cope or fainting brought on by want of nourishment." A rider was appended expressing the jury's regret that the deceased man did not make his destitute condition kaown to his neighbors—a course that would have insured immediate succour.

Suicide. Last Tuesday morning, about 10 o'clock, information reached the police that a man named Bobert Jordine a shepherd in the employment of Messrs J* T. Ford and Co., on the Arowhenua Estate, had committed suicide by hanging himself. It appears that deceased got up in the morning as usual and eut some meat, as he was in the habit of doing, for his wife to cook while he went out to look after some horses. After having done this he left the house, and his wife proceeded to cook the breakfast. When she thought he was too long awav she went I out to look for him, and found him hanging ' in the stable with his feet just touching the I ground. She at once cut him down, hoping, no doubt, that life was not then extinct; but . she was too late—he was then quite dead. She then called eut to some nun who were living in a hut not fur away, and they came to her assistance. Information was at once given to the police, and the body wai brought to the Crown Hotel; Temuka, where it now lies awaiting an inqueit, which will be held at 10 o'clock to-day. Decowed was in good health, but he had been drinking lately, and it is surmised that that had something to do with influencing him in taking his own life: On last Saturday he went to Hilton, returning home under the influence of drink, and taking some liquor with him, and on Sunday he is said to have bean the worse for drink again. On Monday, in company with a man named Ellery, he visited the Spur Hotel, and after getting tome drink bought a bottle of brandy, which he took home with him. On the way home he was making too free with the brandy, and Ellery took possession of it. He went to rest about 6 o'clock in the evening, and nothing further occurred until he got up about half an hour before he committed the rash act. He had no children, and it is said that he lived very happily with his wife. Mr C G-, Tripp invites tenders for ploughing. Mr D. Leach, family butcher, Arowhenua, notifies that he will supply the best beef and mutton for nothing. (

Mr B. A. Barker invites tenders for additions and alterations to dwelling house j also for hedge cutting on Ohapi Earm.J Mr K. F. Gray will attend the Winchester Fair to-day, and offer 45 head of cattle, some sheep, and farm implements.

Messrs Maclean and Stewart will attend Winchester Fair to-day, and sell fat and store cattle and sheep. They have to let, for a cropping of oats, 140 acres of land adjoining the Washdyke Bail way Station.