ACCIDENTS, OFFENCES, ETC.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1259, 30 October 1884, Page 1

ACCIDENTS, OFFENCES, ETC.

At the Pakurangi Hunt Club meeting on Saturday, three enterprising “ spielers" from Wellington were also on the racecourse, running a table, yrhich P ur * ported to be a shooting gallery, and commenced a game called “smut,” in which a buahman detected them in the act of cheating. A free fight ensued and a bushman who was averse to “ »mut ” smashed up the table. The ‘“spielers” got well cuffed by the crowd, and cleared out.

Early on Saturday morning the body of a young man named W. Noell was found floating in Taranganui river near the Gisborne wharf. So far as is known the deceased has no relations in the colony, his father, mother and sisters having been lost in the burning of the ship Cpspatrink. Be is supposed to hive fallen between the wharf and the steamer Ros'na, on which he worked. Deceased was twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age. Mrs Gattely, wife of a settler at Ormond, attempted suicide on Saturday morning by throwing herself into the river, but was promptly rescued by Captain Winter, County engineer, who happened to be near. , At the Table Hill, (Dunedin) William Hudson, a farmer, was severely burnt amongst some fern, and died from his injuries.

At the Police Court, Dunedin, on Monday, F. J. Rose was charged with offering a £5 Union Bank note, knowing the same to be a £1 note altered. The charge wcs dismissed for want of proof. The accused said he got the note in Auckland. The suspicious circumstance against him was that chemicals, inks, brushes, &c., were found amongst his property.

Police Inspector Weldon, whilst travelling on Sunday between Waipori and Lawrence, was thrown out of his buggy by the horse bolting. He received a severe sprain of the knee, and a general shock.

The Chinaman burned at Alexandria lock-up was very at home in China, and was a splendid scholar, beta ‘ black sheep. ’ His parents had several times sent for him to return home, but he had refused to gp, and the general belief amongst his countrymen is that by some means he managed to get some matches and set the place on fire rathe,r than live and disgrace his parents. The lock-up was a tumble-down kind of building, and cases had been known in which Chinese confined in it had been given cigarettes and matches by their friends.

The following are the particulars of the case of death by burning in Bruce County on Sunday About mid-day, Mr William Hodgson, of Canada, was out looking after sheep. He was standing on the edge of a very steep hiH, upon which were a quantity of tussocks and long dry fern. He lit his pipe, threw the match down, and went a few feet higher up the hill, when on looking round he saw that the match had ignited the grass. Being a man advanced in years, he could not climb the hill fast enough to escape the flames. He soon saw there was only one resource before him—to lie down and roll through the flames, which plan he immediately adopted. By the time he had rolled through the burning grass most of his clothes were burned off his back, and his beard singed close to the flesh, and he was terribly burned all over the body. His cries brought the assistance of Mr Mortimer, who had the poor old man conveyed to his house. Drs Steward and Reid were immediately sent, for, and did their best for the sufferer, but without success. He lingered in an unconscious state until nine o clock next morning, when he expired. MrT. L. Sheppard, an ex-M.H.R., who was struck with paralysis at Dunedin during last week, died in the Hospital on Monday. I Dr. Leggatt, captain of the Nelson artillery was shot through the palm of the hand while superintending firing at the buits on Tuesday. The hand had to be cut off at. the wrist. O: > o A ten-roomed house at Fendalltown, Christchurch, and a fivo-rooiped house and store at North-East Valley, Dunedin, were burned down on Monday, A number of larrikins, taking! ad vantage of 'Mr Stout’s absence from Dunedin, broke into his house at about quarter-past four oh Monday and stole therefrom a large number of articles. The police soon got wind of‘the robbery, and recovered most of the goods before they were removed from the ; ground. The names of the culprits are also known. On Monday, a lad, aged thirteen, son of Mr J. Drveiy, met with a fatal accident at Me’hveu. The lad was standing close to a horse and dray, when the horse took fright, and, plunging forward, knocked the boy down, - and the wheel of the dray passed'over the unfortunate lad, who received sued injuries that he died before medical assistance could be procured. . : ..