INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1609, 19 July 1887, Page 1

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

The case against Charles Aitken, late ledger-keeper of the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, charged with forgery, was dismissed at the Police Court on Friday, the cheque alleged to have been forged not having been produced. The premises of S. HofEer, fancy goods dealer, Wellington, were broken into on Friday night and jewellery valued at £4O was stolen.

A peculiar case came before the Dunedin R.M. Court on Friday. A man named Bennett sued C. Wilkins for £7O odd, and it appeared from the evidence that Wilkins undertook to obtain a purchaser for Bennett’s bottling establishment, and received a reply to an advertisement from a man named .Sutherland, and arranged to go into the business with him. Wilkins paid Bennett part of the purchase money, and by arrangement gave a cheque for £45, which was to be returned. Bennett sued now on this cheque and for other items. The Magistrate, in giving judgment for £6 2s 6d, money lent, said it was evident the cheque had been given for the purpose of working a fraud on Sutherland. It was, perhaps, superfluous to say anything, but he was sorry he had it not in his power to give both Bennett and Wilkins twelve months’ imprisonment with hard labor.

About £2OO has been so far collected at Dunedin for the Queen’s Jubilee Convalescent Fund. The Wairarapa scare may now be considered at rest. Chief Inspector Bayley telegraphs that there is no disease ; it is simply a case of ergotism, and Mr Orbell has forwarded a full report in terms of Fiiday’s telegram, giving particulars of the cattle affected at Woodville.

An impudent robbery was committed at the residence of Captain Rose, Wellington, on Friday. Tho thief, a big burly fellow, presented himself at the house when oil the occupants but the servant were absent and proceeded to ransack the house for valuables. The girl made a stubborn resistance and struck the thief across tho head with a poker drawing blood. The man then made off, having secured only a few articles of trifling value and a small sum of money. The half-yearly report and balancesheet of the Colonial Bank show that the profit for the half-year, after making due provision for bad and doubtful debts, etc., is £15,194 which, with last year’s balance, leaves £18,962 available for distribution. A dividend at the rate of 7 per cent will absorb £14,00®, and £IOOO is to be placed to tho reserve fund, which will stand at £48,000. A balance of £3962 is carried forward. At Dunedin a man named Jeremiah Leahy was fined £lO or two months for counselling and inducing an inmate of the Industrial School to abscond, and with harboring the lad after be bad done so.