AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY FROM GUILDFORD, VICTORIA.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1986, 17 May 1875, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY FROM GUILDFORD, VICTORIA.

The Mount Alexander Mail gives the following singular and somewhat romantic rumour from the neighborhood of Guildford on Saturday last. An elderly man named Spencer, residing in that locality, being rather anxious to add to his household and to his comforts, became enamoured of a blooming •widow, whose residence was at Tarilta." After some months pleasantly spent in the work of courtship, the momentous question was; fairly put, and received a satisfactoryreply. The happy day was fixed. To-' wards the latter end of last week the; bride elect asked tbe intended bride-; groom to meet her oh the top of Table-hill, Tarilta. It so happens that, on this spot a number of very deep shafts have been sunk by miners many years since, the locality, being thus rendered somewhat dangerous—as should a person unfortunately fall down one, there would be little probability of his appearance on the surface again, either dead or alive. The .night being bright moonlight, Mr Spencer kept the appointed tryst, but was somewhat surprised at meeting some one who appeared to be a miner; however, tbe two got into conversation, and in the course of the walk passed several t of the deep shafts. On arriving at the top they sat down on the edge of one of these, i when the " miner" threw a stone down and remarked how deepfit was ; his companion got up, and was in the act of looking down, when suddenly the "miner" rose, and, flourishing a tomahawk, struck Spencer a fearful blow on the back of his head, causing the blood to flow copiously, and nearly sending him head foremost into the hole! By a dexterous movement however, he swerved clear, and then, turning round, saw to his amazement that the "miner" was no other than his inamorata dressed in male attire. With a .bound he rushed homeward, closely followed by the woman, but on coming up to the fence he stumbled, when she again attacked him—this time with, the blade edge of the tomahawk, and inflicted ' Severe wounds oh the side of his face and head. Aftej|,. some struggling the unfortunate fe116% got clear of her, and ran home as fast as *he could and sought medical attention. The next morning the widow called upon him as if nothing had happened, and dressed in her proper habiliments, when angry altercations and recriminations took place, she alleging to those present that her lover had insulted her. The matter, it is said, has been placed in the hands of the police for elucidation, and an information was to be sworn onthat day.