The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1702, 17 June 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1874.

The case of Donnelly versus Donnelly at the District Court; yesterday terminated with a verdict for defendant with costs, £13 12e, which were paid into Court.

We learn that the Maori murderer who was reported by telegram to be on bis way to Auckland to be released was not concerned in the East Coast outrages. He is simply a vulgar murderer, having killed a man.named Smith at Victoria Valley in 1868. His name we are informed is Hami to Hara. .

On Saturday, a Mrs Mahar, an aged widow lady, residing near tb.3 Union Jack Drapery Mart, Golden Point, Ballarat, had occasion to throw some water on her garden, which had the effect of uncovering a nice nugget of gold weighing over 7 oz. .

The following facts may be turned to useful account: A bronze halfpenny is exactly an inch broad, and therefore gives us a very convenient measure. Laid on an ordnance xcap of the inch scale, the halfpenny covers just 500 acres. The third of an ounce is now the postal unit, and a penny is precisely that weight.

This morning Mr. Eicbard May, one of our local watermeD, had a very narrow escape. About 9 a.m. he was in his boat, bound for the Thames river saw mills, and heavily laden. When some distance past Headship's wharf a squall capsized the boa% and precipitated Mr. May and his cargo into deep water. Mr. Davidson, who nitneßsed the accident, promptly manned his whaleboatand gallantly rescued Mr. May from bis perilous position.

Thb Ararat News sajs :—" It is reported that a number of Germane have been engaged by an influential company in Vienna, and are on theii way to Victoria with the object of planting and workisg a large vineyard on purely.Continental principles—that is to say, the storing of the wine till it attains an age which renders it fit for drinking. The capital is subscribed by men of position, and the laborers who are oh their way here have been engaged by the promoters of tho enterprise for a definite term. The vineyard is, we understand, to be planted in the vicinity of Honham."

Thb attendance at the Academy of Music last night to witness the performance of the Smith Combination Troupe was very good ■6 far as the pit and gallery were concerned, the boxes were almost empty, and no wonder for the weather was m£st wet and boisterous, to much to that very few of the fair sex would show out. The performance was from the same programme as that of Saturday and Monday, and equally well gone . through. Almost the best testimony to the ability of this troupe was shewn last night, when they drew so good a house during such wretched weather.

Mm. Roche, of Belfast, was summoned by Mrs Deady, of the same city, for an assault. Her defence was as follows: "It's all Mrs Deady, your Honor. I'll tell je. I was goin' over the bridge wben up comes Mrs Deady, and 'Godhelp us/ says she; 'twelve months ago its little we thought w.i'd be wearing our hat and feather to day.' 'True for you mam,' says I; 'but sure it may be all our own case yet.' ' The Lord deliver us from all evil,' says she. So with that she tould me to go on before her. ' What's the instigation of that demand, Dcadj ? ' eajs I. She never made no answer, but gave mo a cross insult between the two eyes with her fisto."

The Governor of Now So.>th Wales, Sir Hercules, Robinson, did not give a brihdiiy ball thia your, and the Sydney Morning Herald giro* the reason as follows ;—" Having regard to the increasing population of the colony, and the large number of perso is wlio every year aspire to share Iho hospitalities of Government House, it ha 3 been found iinjro.--uible to provide 'ho requisite accommodation. For the last two or three years invitatiois have been issued to 1200 and 1300 pewonr, but the suite of rooms at G-overninent Houee is really not large enough for an assemblage of 600 persona. Instead of the ball, His Excellency has determined to give n good English dinner of reasb beef and plum pudding to the inmates of the Benevolent Asylums at Sydney, Liverpool, Parramatta, and at Windsor."

Soira months ago, says the Melbourne Leader, a speculator purchased from the Ta*> mannn Government the right to fish for the first submarfno cable laid in Ba»s' Straits, and long since abandoned. He has chartered a vessel and procured a report from an ex perienced engineer, and a company is in pro-ce-8 of formation to uti iao the cable. All right to the cable was sold for £5, and if it is ever recovered from the vasty deep, the probabilities of securing a profit on the purchase are good. The professional gcntlnnan entrusted with the tas< of reporting therson states the (otal amount recoverable to be about 160 nautical miles, and as to the condition of the long submerged wire, quotes fs an illiistra'ion the case of the Dover and Calais cable, which, after a submergence of nine years, showed » loss of only two per cent, on tho iron covering. He thinks the value of the recovered cable may bo reasonably eeti rated at from £25 to £30 per mile.

An aboriginal native of New South Wales was recently charged before the Arinidule Bench with the murder of a Chinaman, and committed for trial. He made the following admisßion to tbe police :—" I want to tell the truth. My right name is Dundally. This Chinaman wanted to take my gin away, and Igo down to t' c water with a can. When I come back I don't sea Chinaman And gin. He is gone behind tree, with gin. He say, 1 You folionr mo, I shoot jou.' ' Whit arc you going to do with my gin ?' He say, ' I take her away.' I say,' No; that belong* to me.' Well, lam very cross. ' You will have to give her back. ' No, I won't.' He had this time tho gin in his hand. I ran up with a tomahawk. I hit the gin first, on tho forehead, with a stick. I then gave him— that man, the Chinaman—two cracks on the head with the tomahawk. Ho drop down. That's all. I caught the gin when the man dropped. I-overhauled his two baskets. I pick up handkercher, three comb, necktie, a ring, a knife. I put my hand in his waistcoat, and take him cheque £5, £1, and 7s 6d in silver tied up in a bit of paper with him. Nothing more,"