TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1816, 15 November 1888, Page 4

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

At Auckland on Monday a boy named Andrews had the fingers on hia right hand shattered and wounds inflicted over, his right eye and on the right leg, through tbf explosion of a dynamite cap, which he was playing with. The cap had been left lying about. Jack Matheson, who was arrested on the gumfield at Lucas Creek, Auckland, was committed to the asylum as a lunatic. He had written to the Southern Inspector Of Police charging a number of people with inciting him to commit murder and suicide, Matheeon is a young man, well connected in the south, and known throughout the colony. An influential petition, headed by Sir George Grey, has been sent to the Minister of Justice praying for a remission of the sentence of fourteen days’ imprisonment passed on Sir Charles Burdett for stealing flowers at Auckland. Thefts of flowers from gardens continue, but the thieves adopt the precaution of taking off their boots. Private advices received in Auckland by last mail from Samoa state that the German squadron was expected to arrive at the island within a fortnight from date of writing. H was fully anticipated that on the arrival of the squadron the Germane would commence active operations against the Malietoa natives, and assume control of the islands. Mr Weber, the former German Consul at Samoa, was stated to be a passenger by the squadron, and it is believed that he has special authority to deal with existing difficulties. The Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company, Dunedin, pay a dividend of 8 per cent, for the year, and carry £540 forward, The men employed at the Westport Ngakawua mines, Ngakawua (the property recently purchased by the Sydney men), have struck for an increase in wages from 81 to 10a per day, the district rate. About a dozen men are interested, and they aie supported by the Denniston miners. A fire broke out on the ship Langstono, lying at Napier, on Monday night, and before it was extinguished damage to the amount of £SOOO was done. At one time it seemed that the vessel could not be saved, and arrangements were made to scuttle her. Happily the steam and other fire engines belonging to the town were able to get the fire under. The total value of.tbe ship and cargo is £45,000. The insurances are chiefly at Lloyds and in the Universal Company, but the Union and Natinal bold small risk. About 150 bales of wool were burned, and 1200 damaged by water. These bales will have to lie unshipped and fellmongered. The vessel is little damaged, except as regards the the forward part of the deck and forecastle.

At the inquest on the body ot a child of Alexander Campbell, Durham street, Auckland, the evidence showed that the child had been accidentally overlaid by the mother while in a fit. A girl about fifteen stated that Campbell and his family and she and her I'ajher all occupied the same sleeping apartment,.. tea cr twelve f :, et square. Tire man explained he was a gum-digger and not in a position to provide better accommodation for bis wife, or pay anyone to look after her when she had fits. The Coroner said this slate of things was.almost incredible, and should be brought under the notice of the Charitable Aid Board. The Samoan land dispute has entered on a new phase. McArthur and Co., of Auckland, have got the High Commissioner of the Pacific to declare Cornwall a bankrupt, and a sale of lands belonging to Cornwall is announced to be held on the 12th November at Apia. A hoy with an excursion party to Rangitoto Island on Friday last discovered a human skeleton bleached white on the beach. He brought the skull to town, and it has been identified, by the false teeth as that of R. J. Delaby, one of the party of young men drowned in the boatiug accident last New Year’s Day. The, remains wlll bs interred.

Sir Willoughby Dixon was drowned while fording the Punui River on horseback, about a mile from Mihikihi, on Saturday. Deceased bad resided in tbs Waikato district for the past thirty-five years, On Monday Jane Clarkson, alias Jemima Duncan, was committed tor trial at Christchurch for forging and uttering a cheque for £7.lQs.on the National Bank on November 2nd. She obtained a blank cheque at the Zsalandia Hotel, got the barman to fill it in, signed it Jemima Duncan, and cashed it at the Crown Hotel. A young man named Ellis K. Pickard, son of Dr Pickard, of London, was found dead, in his bed at South Dunedin on Monday, having evidenlly been smothered while in an epileptic fit. He was a single man, and had been in the colony about three years.

The exhibition guarantee fund at Dunedin is now £6OOO, and a large number of the business firms in the leading street haye scarcely been canvassed yet. A man named McJury was killed on Monday afternoon on the railway near Takapua, Hawke’s Bay. He was lying drunk or asleep on the railway when the usual goods train came along. Owing to the rapid curves of the line at that spot be could not be sees in time for the train to be stopped, and bis body was cut to pieces. In the course of an interview at Wellington on Monday, the Premier stated that while he did not agree with the action of Sic Thomas Mcllraith generally he would feel bound, to enter a protest if an attempt were to be made to appoint to the Qoyarnorehip of New Zealand a gentleman who was known to be unsuitable or objectionable to the colony. He tun her stated that the Government had no official cognisance of Mr W. L. Rees! co-operative scheme, as mentioned in the morning cables, nor had they heard anything of the proposal to guarantee 3 per cent, upon the sum of £300,000 to ho expended in the immigration of Lewis crofters.

William Morris, a German, was on Monday sentenced tp three months’ hard labor for stealing clothing from Piggott's store at Mahakipawa. He said that he was hard up, and that since the loss of his son, who was accidentally shot, he had experienced weakness in the head. The seamen’s dispute at Auckland has been finally settled. The Stormbird has been withdrawn and sent south. The Union accept time for time instead of overtime, and the Northern S.S. Company concede a 1 othor points in dispute, including employment of Union hands only on their steamers. All the men except fiye will be allowed to join the Union.