ACCIDENTS, OFFENCES, ETC.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2707, 4 September 1894, Page 3

ACCIDENTS, OFFENCES, ETC.

A fire broke out at Hellaby’s boiling down works, Richmond, Auckland, on Friday. The working manager turned out all hands, numbering about 40, to suppress the outbreak, but this was found to be impossible owing to a quantity of tallow, about 60 or 70 casks, being ablaze. The fire was confined to a large building in which it broke out, consisting of the tallow and bone departments. The loss in buildings, stock and plant, amounts to several thousand pounds. Chapman Bros’ boot factory at Johnsonville, Wellington, was burned down on Friday morning. The insurance was £1260 in the Royal. At Wellington Francis Cullen, mate of the barque Assel, was charged with attempted suicide with a revolver. The mau had a quarrel with his captain and gave himself a slight wound in a fit of temper.

A quarrel in which a number of Chinese were concerned took place at Wellington on Saturday night. It appears that a row occurred in a Chinamen’s residence in Haloing street, and the assistance of the police was invoked. The quarrel became general, and in the melee one of the constables was struck on the head with a bamboo, causing a nasty scalp wound. Several citizens went to the assistance of the two constables, and subsequently a number of blue jackets from H.M.S. Wallaroo who were passing joined in the fray, and the Celestials had all the worst of the deal. The inclusion of the tars, armed with palings stripped from the adjacent fences, soon led to matters reaching their normal state, and four of the Chinamen were taken into custody. At Napier, Jane Douglas, aged 94, a domestic servant, who was apparently in the best of health, fell down in what was supposed to be a fainting fit, soon after dinner. She was put to bed, as she complained of acute pains in the region of the heart. Medical assistance was sent for, but before a doctor could arrive she expired, it is supposed from heart disease. A daring burglary was perpetrated on Friday night at the Hastings Post Office, which was broken into some time during the night. The safe was taken away bodily, containing £27 in cash, £ll7 in stamps, and postal notes to the value of £67 12s, Next'to the Post Office there stood an express in a yard for sale. The burglars took advantage of this, in which they carted the safe away. Friday being the last day for the payment of the laud tax, about £ISOO was taken, but this was fortunately banked earlier in the day. Butler, the bankrupt arrested at Oamaru agreed to sign documents making over certain prospective assets, and the charge against him was withdrawn. He made no secret of his intention to leave the colony, and refused to sign the documents previously under a misapprehension as to their contents.

John McKibbin, a farmer at Crown Terrace, Otago, shot himself at his residence on Friday. At present it is unknown whether the shot was an accident,

The gripper of one of the oars on the Roslyn lino, Dunedin, failed to act on '-"aturday, when opposite Speight’s biowery, and the car kept on running to the terminal point, with the result that the passengers were more or loss shaken. Mr R. D. Denniston, falling on the sent, had one of his collarbones broken,

At the Supreme Court, Dunedin, which sat late on Saturday, the following setences were passed : —Eugene Desarthe, for breakihg into a shop, two years hard labour ; John Austtu, eighteen months for the same offence; George Smith, for breaking into another shop, 18 months; James Moloney, his companion, six months, and Charles Dixon, another companion, four months ; Herbert Jones, for breaking into a draper’s shop, three years; Donald J ones, his companion, 12 months; Conrad Basan, Henry Alien, and Henry Holland, for breaking into a boot factory, three years each. In the case of Robert Hiokling, charged with assault, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour. At Port Chalmers James Docherty, licensee of the Portobello Hotel, Portobello, was charged with selling beer to George Harris and Lawrence Morrison while in a state of intoxication. On the day in question Morrison was knocked overboard from his lighter and drowned. George Harris stated that they had had a few drinks, but he did not consider either Morrison or himself drunk. Mr Carew, S M., dismissed the case, and a second charge of permitting men to be drunk on the premises was withdraw n. At Inyercargill Richard Smith, charged with false pretences, was sentenced to seven months. Accused collected money from various settlers, representing, that it was for the family of a man who, he alleged, had met with a serious accident.